BDL Gas Services - Showroom Reopening Update

BDL Gas Services
Tel: 01634 232048
Email: info@bdlgasservices.co.uk
Website: www.bdlgasservices.co.uk
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June News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Well, things are starting to ease, the lockdown is lifting and people are getting back to some semblance of normality. The great hope now is that this does not prove to be a false dawn and we all get locked down again. I am sure that, like me, a lot of people have had time to reflect on things and I have certainly enjoyed some of the quiet moments over the last 10 weeks or so. The world did literally stop and we had the chance to get off... and I liked it. But the time has come to start returning to the rat-race but hopefully with a better attitude.

The cold snap at the beginning of May didn’t cause much damage in the South East so hopefully you have got all the planting out completed. I lost virtually all my French Beans at the end of April so put seed straight into the ground and they are coming up again. The Runner Beans pulled through and are heading off up the strings… a good lesson learnt… I tried to get ahead of nature!! Everything else in the vegetable patch is doing fine and I managed to squeeze in all the sweet corn seedlings. Hopefully you are taking salad crops so keep resowing and keep them coming. Pinch out side shoots on Tomatoes and keep everything well watered.

Fruit should be swelling up by now but wait for nature to thin it out in June before doing a final thinning of the smaller ones in July. Cherry and Plum trees can be lightly pruned at this time of year. The pests will be out in force so start spraying or just rubbing them out with your fingers or else they can get out of control. Peg down strawberry runners for next year’s plants. Apply a high Potash feed to bring on the fruit.

The lawns are starting to brown again after a dry May and you can’t rely on a morning dew, so give them a bit of water to keep them moderately green. Wait until after some rain has fallen before applying another weed and feed and avoiding cutting the grass short in a hot summer.

I can triumphantly state that I have finally got the back garden borders cleared and tidied and started reorganising plants and bulbs… sadly I still have the front garden to deal with. I have decided to discard some of the more feeble Daffodil bulbs and cull the Spanish Bluebells which are taking over, pulling them together into fewer and smaller clumps. Primroses have been divided and spread around and the snowdrop seeds have been collected and selectively planted. The top growth of spring flowers can be cleared this month to make way for the summer perennials that should be budding up. I bought plug plants this year, having given up on seed, but less than half of them have made it. So it was a visit to a local nursery and a decent selection of well established perennials, which were actually cheaper than the plug plants!

Everything should be well watered as we head towards summer, especially containers that can dry out very quickly. Also a high potash feed will keep everything flowering. Roses have got off to a great start this year and I do not believe in the Chelsea chop. For those who do, it will take a bit longer, but this gives a better summer show… so they say.

It’s time to start planning the outdoor living and to take satisfaction in all the gardening that’s gone into getting to this point. Dust off the BBQ and stock up on marinades. I had developed a liking for Mexican lagers recently, Corona I think it was called... but can’t find it anywhere.

We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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The Oldest Houses in Upchurch by David Wood

Like most parishes in England Upchurch still retains old buildings from the distant past with the oldest being the church constructed in 1100, but what are the oldest houses?

‘Wayside,’ which is located opposite the church in Horsham Lane, dates back to the late fourteenth century and is believed to have been used as a convent and then as the village vicarage. This is because of its close proximity to the church. It also has features of a fourteenth century vicarage with a hallway, a cellar, a large open fireplace, stables and a garden that was once enclosed by a wall. The fireplace which is situated on the ground floor is dated from 1321 to 1391, although the present building is not the original.

The present house was constructed during the late seventeenth century because the original building had fallen into disrepair according to the ‘Catalogue of all the Benefices in the Diocese of Canterbury’ dated 1663. Since then the house has served as a coaching inn, a confectionary shop, a coal merchant’s, a nineteenth century inn and as a residence for farm workers. The remains of an old staircase, maid’s quarters and old ship’s beams suggest that the property has a long history.

The left side of the building became the Church Room in 1906, rented by the church where meetings and social events took place. It also became the Men’s Room where the village men could go to socialise and play games. The room became derelict for a while before being taken over by the Labour Party and converted into the Labour Hall in 1950. When John Gay bought Wayside in 1967 he had the hall incorporated into the house.

‘Wayside’ may have had a secret passage which led from the cellar to the church as an escape route for the clergy at the time of Henry VIII when he took possession of religious buildings. Although clear evidence of this does not exist today, architect Mr Clegg who lived there during the 1950s and 1960s, is believed to have had the passage bricked up because of its bad condition causing it to become unsafe.

Gore Farmhouse is the oldest house in the parish and it also dates back to the fourteenth century. A Norman knight named Roger le Souser and his maid servant Inger burnt down the original house after murdering the owner in 1244. A new timber house was constructed in 1390. It became a two storey building. In 1540. King Henry V111 seized it and presented it as a gift to Attorney-General and Canterbury MP Sir Christopher Hales. After this it fell into disrepair until Philip Holman mortgaged it in 1610. The Earl of Thanet then owned it until 1849. From that point farm bailiffs lived there while the farmers lived in Gore House. Mike Blee became the most recent farmer to live in Gore Farmhouse.

The farmhouse is timber framed and underbuilt with painted bricks. There are two casement windows on each floor and a central door with a gabled porch. There are traces of Medieval stonework in the north-west part of the house. The floors and chimney stacks date from the sixteenth century. The farmhouse became a listed building in 1984. According to eye witness accounts the house is haunted.

Holywell Farm Cottage previously known as Holywell Cottages originally served as two semi detached farm cottages for farm workers dating back to the sixteenth century.

The Cottages were converted into a single detached cottage and then it became a listed building in November 1984. It's timber framed and plastered with red and blue chequered brick at the front with a tiled roof. The front is seventeenth century and the rear sixteenth century. The cottage is two storeys high. There are two chimney stacks, one at each end of the roof.

Yew Tree Cottage situated at the bottom end of Poot Lane is also a former farm worker’s tied cottage dating back to the late seventeenth century. The date of the building is carved into one of the ship’s beams located in the lounge. Farm workers mainly resided in the property. For the past forty years the house with a yew tree in the front garden has had an extension and other improvements made as private individuals have lived there and have converted the cottage into a luxury home. Paul Hicks is the present owner.

Gore Farmhouse, Holywell House, Yew Tree Cottage and Wayside.

Horsham Farm in Horsham Lane dates back to the seventeenth century and is the grandest and biggest old house in the parish.

The house and the farm situated in Horsham Lane are named after Stephen de Horsham, the first owner of the Manor of Horsham during the reign of Edward III.

The building is two storeys high with an attic, wooden eaves and a hipped roof. The building is timber framed and clad with buff brick on the ground floor. There is a tiled roof with three hipped dormers and stacks to the left and right.

In past times the house had 1000 acres of farmland attached. All Souls College Oxford owned the property for a long time then the Portland Cement Company purchased it during the twentieth century.

During the nineteenth century farmer John Green and his family occupied the property. After this farm workers lived in the house then the Jenkins family moved in during the 1930s and Charles and Sid Jenkins managed the farm. They were followed by Lyn Jenkins and his wife Katherine who worked and resided there for many years. When Lyn Jenkins died the property and land were sold and the house is now privately owned by Gerald Bowra.

Callows House at Ham Green was constructed during the 1720s and originally served as a farmhouse for the Chambers family who owned a large acreage of land and cottages in the area. The house became known as ‘Chambers House’ then later as ‘Chambers Cottages’. Abraham and John Chambers became well-known Ham Green farmers during the eighteenth century. The house became known as Callows House towards the end of the nineteenth century.

The house name derives from ‘The Callows,’ an old Irish term meaning low lying wetland or a river flood plain. Although the house may originally have been a detached dwelling it appears to have been divided into two separate cottages at some point with a loft which may have been used as a third living area. Evidence for this is a shared front entrance and staircase with a door on either side for entry from each side of the house on the ground floor. Both sides are more or less identical, with the exception of a separate area directly behind the living room on the right of the building, most likely used to keep farm animals.

The ground floor originally had an earth surface. An open fireplace with a stove on each side of the house with a chimney stack provided heating and cooking facilities. One main bedroom is situated on each side of the first floor with a small loft area above.

The exposed beams on the ceiling and wall of the ground floor are old ship’s timbers made of oak which probably pre-date the house. The house also has a cat slide slanting tiled roof which is typical of eighteenth century buildings. A small extension appears to have been added to the left side of the house at some point and this serves as a kitchen.

According to the Upchurch tithe map of 1839 farmer Katherine Coveney owned the house but did not live there. Farm workers mainly lived in the property. George Friend who worked as a gardener for John Hinge at Ham Green House and became an important figure in the horticultural society lived in the house during the 1950s and 1960s. These days the building is a detached house and tree surgeon Jim Lindsay is the present owner.

Holywell House in Holywell Lane is from the same period as Callows house and was also constructed as a farmhouse during the early eighteenth century. Made of brick, it has always been a detached farmhouse with a spacious interior and many rooms. Nowadays, the house has a lounge, a sitting room, four bedrooms, a bathroom a loft, a pantry, a boot room, a rear porch an entrance hall and a basement with spacious gardens at the rear, front and side. It became the home of successive farmers. These included Henry Miskin, Richard Mitchell, Joseph Witherden, Frank Stevens and Geoff Stevens. These all farmed land in the area.

Overall, the oldest houses in Upchurch have an interesting history and have survived over time to contribute to the character of the area.

David Wood

About David

David Wood was born, raised and still lives in Upchurch today. He is able to write from personal experience about village life and the changes that have taken place over the years, making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable and detailed historical study of the village.

David's book is available from David at david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + postage and packing.

New TiksPac Dispenser in Chaffes Lane

Upchurch Parish Council has installed the second of two TiksPac Station Dispensers in Chaffes Lane, at the entrance to the footpath to Forge Lane.

Dog owners can put their bagged dog waste in any public litter bin or take it home to your household green bin.

Thank you

Upchurch Matters
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Swale Borough Council Says Thank You

Cheryl Jones, Fundraising Officer from
The Medway Hospital Charity Team
receives toiletry donation.

The response of local people to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been praised by Swale Borough Council.

Across the borough, people, organisations and businesses have rallied to help families, friends, neighbours and keyworkers during the disruption.

Voluntary and community groups have been supporting the vulnerable to keep them safe, and local businesses have been helping with donations of supplies and services where they are needed.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“This pandemic is not over by any stretch, but I think it’s important we recognise the way local people have rallied round to help each other, and our key workers, during a phenomenally difficult time.

Whether it’s been helping an elderly neighbour by picking up their shopping to sharing tips for home schooling with other parents online, there have been countless acts of kindness and generosity that show our community spirit is alive and well.

Voluntary and community groups have responded amazingly and have supported thousands of local people who have been affected by the pandemic – if you’re able to, please donate to our crowdfunding appeal to raise funds for some fantastic local groups that have literally been a lifeline to so many people.

Businesses have donated items to the NHS, charities and community groups, and have helped with services, including - as I read last week - clearing up dumped fridges!

We’ve locked down to keep ourselves and each other safe, and when we’ve been exercising we seem to be keeping to the rules on social distancing - there’s even been a few more “hello’s” and “thank you’s” than usual as we let each other pass safely.

When all this is over, I hope we can carry on in a similar vein, by appreciating what is actually important to us – our health, our family and our friends.”

For more information on how the council is helping support local people affected by the coronavirus visit www.swale.gov.uk/community-response

To find out more, and donate, to the crowdfunding appeal on behalf of local voluntary and community groups, visit www.swale.gov.uk/make-a-difference

Swale Borough Council

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Swale Borough Council - Applications for Park Home Sites in Swale

Swale Borough Council is considering an interim policy to manage planning applications for park home sites across the borough.

Since February 2019, the council have been unable to provide a five year housing supply – meaning not as many houses are being built to meet government targets.

This makes the council vulnerable to planning applications coming in for areas outside the approved local plan, including those for residential park home sites.

At the moment there is no specific policy on park home sites and consequently have nothing to hold new applications to account by.

This policy also give the council the opportunity to widen the housing options especially for the elderly, who make up an increasing part of the borough's population, and for whom there is no specific provision in the current local plan.

Having such a policy in place will also protect the council when it seeks to enforce the current 8-10 month occupancy rules, which are currently vulnerable to appeal.

The council has made it clear that any such sites are highly unlikely to be possible in flood zones or coastal erosion zones, and the number likely to come forward before the next local plan is expected to be very limited, approximately 2-300.

Cabinet Member for Planning Mike Baldock commented:

"Whilst we are in a position that leaves us vulnerable to speculative developments coming forward as a result of the failure of the existing Local Plan to deliver the expected housing levels, we are seeking to turn this vulnerability into a strength.

By arming ourselves with a strong policy we will ensure good quality housing is provided as well as finally start to provide accommodation for our elderly residents - something we will be doing in our Local Plan, but which we are pleased to now be able to deliver two years ahead of schedule.

There is a lot of misconception about residential park home sites.

These aren’t US trailer parks, and people making such ill-informed comments may perhaps be better informed by visiting existing park home sites to see the warm and supportive communities that live there.

This is not accommodation on the cheap - these are good quality homes.”

Cabinet will be discussing the report on Wednesday, 3rd June and the agenda for the meeting is available here

Swale Borough Council

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