Kent

I

Introduction

Kent, county, south-eastern England, bounded on the north by the River Thames and the Thames estuary; on the south by the Strait of Dover and the English Channel; and on the west by East Sussex. The boroughs of Bexley and Bromley were incorporated into Greater London in 1965. Kent now has a land area of 3,710 sq km (1,433 sq mi) and a coastline of approximately 200 km (125 mi). Maidstone is the county town.

Kent has traditionally been known as the “Garden of England”, because of the fruit, hops, and other crops grown in the county. Since World War II, road and rail links with London have changed parts of north and west Kent into a highly urbanized dormitory suburb of the capital. The Dartford-Purfleet tunnel, opened in 1963, facilitates road traffic between Kent and Essex; since 1991 the Queen Elizabeth II bridge has taken northbound traffic into Essex. The coastal resorts of Kent are much favoured for retirement. Proximity to continental Europe has been an important influence throughout Kent's history. Today there are cross-Channel ferry services from the ports of Dover, Folkestone, and Ramsgate. The opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 heralded a new phase of transport links, but there has been much controversy over the route through Kent of the high-speed Eurostar train. An international rail terminus opened at Ashford in 1996, offering direct passenger services to Europe, including Eurostar services to Paris, Brussels, and Lille and overnight trains to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Cologne, the Rhineland, and Frankfurt.

II

Land and Resources

Kent is bisected from west to east by the curve of the North Downs, a chalk ridge that extends from south-west London to the coast at Dover, where it culminates in the sheer cliffs immortalized in “The White Cliffs of Dover”. To the south of the downs is a clay area known as the Kentish Weald, part of the once thickly wooded area known as the High Weald that extends across Kent, Surrey, West Sussex, and East Sussex. The High Weald and the Kent Downs have both been designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Countryside Agency. There are marshlands in the north, bordering the River Thames, while in the south lies Romney Marsh, reclaimed from the sea over many years. The principal rivers are the Medway and the Stour, whose valleys cut through the North Downs, and the Darent. The Kent coast is distinguished by the chalk cliffs of the North Foreland, the most easterly point of the county, and renowned for its bracing air; the white cliffs of Dover, which face France, about 34 km (21 mi) distant at the narrowest point; and the promontory of Dungeness in the south where two nuclear power stations have been built. Two areas of the county’s coastline have been designated as Heritage Coasts: South Foreland Heritage Coast and the Dover-Folkestone Heritage Coast. The Isle of Sheppey, in the Thames estuary, is linked to the mainland by a road-rail bridge. In the north-east is the Isle of Thanet, separated from the rest of the county by two branches of the Stour.

The ancient Wealden forests have long since disappeared, and much of the rest of Kent's natural vegetation has been lost to modern development. Even so, the county remains rich in woodland and parkland, with the oak tree predominating. The Downs are treeless but grassy, a reflection of centuries of sheep grazing. Irregularly shaped fields and straggling hedgerows characterize the lowlands; many of these denote historic boundaries and enclosures. About 50 per cent of the agricultural land is under grass and devoted to grazing. Romney Marsh provides rich pastureland for its famous long-haired sheep (see Romney (sheep)).

Kent is not well endowed with building materials, but Wealden sandstone and limestone quarried near Maidstone have been used for some churches and major buildings, and flint is used for decorating walls and parish churches. Red brick made from local clay is much in evidence. Timber from the former forests went into the many half-timbered manors and farmhouses still to be found throughout the county. Kent's most distinctive architectural feature, however, is the oast house that is designed for drying hops. Of brick construction, usually round but sometimes square, these oast houses have tapering roofs topped with a wooden cowl, normally painted white, that can be adjusted to vary the air flow. Oast houses are usually attached to a farm, often in groups of two or more.

III

Climate

Kent enjoys the temperate maritime climate common to southern England, with occasional prolonged periods of extreme weather; severe gales frequently sweep up the Channel. The average annual rainfall is in the region of 635-760 mm (25-30 in). Dry summers are not unknown. Fog and sea mist are not unusual, especially in the coastal regions. The great storm of October 16, 1987, which devastated much of southern England, claimed many trees throughout the county.

IV

Population and Administration

The population of Kent in 2001 was estimated at 1,329,653. Many people, principally office staff and other white-collar workers, commute daily to London. Maidstone (2001, 138,959) is the county town and headquarters of the county council. The other main towns include the ports of Folkestone (1991, 45,587) and Dover (2001, 104,490); Ashford (2001, 102,661); Canterbury (borough council area, 2001, 135,287), the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of the Church of England; Chatham (1991, 71,691), site of the former Royal Naval Dockyards; Dartford (2001, 85,911); the cathedral city of Rochester (1991, 23,971); Sheerness (1991, 11,653); Tunbridge Wells (2001, 104,030); and the seaside resorts of Ramsgate (1991, 37,895) and Margate (1991, 56,734).

In addition to the county council, Kent has 12 district and borough councils: Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Gravesham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Shepway, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, and Tunbridge Wells. On April 1, 1998, following the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, the borough council of Gillingham and the city council of Rochester-upon-Medway, which were previously administered in conjunction with Kent County Council, united to become the unitary authority of Medway, an administrative body separate from the county. The police authority is the Kent Constabulary, with its headquarters at Maidstone. Crown Courts sit at Maidstone and at Canterbury.