Bapchild

Bapchild is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England, about two miles inside of Sittingbourne. It lies on the old Roman road (Watling Street) now the A2, and according to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 1,068, including Tonge, increasing to 1,141 at the 2011 Census.[1]

Bapchild
St.Lawrence Church, Bapchild
Bapchild Location within Kent
Population	1,141 (2011 Census)[1]
District	Swale
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SITTINGBOURNE
Postcode district	ME9
Dialling code	01795
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Faversham and Mid Kent

According to Edward Hasted in 1800, it was anciently written 'Beccanceld' which is Old English for 'moist and bleak' and was mostly a marshland.[2]

According to a late seventh or early eighth century charter, the Synod of Baccanceld was held in Bapchild, but historians now believe that the charter is a forgery.[3][4]

The village has its own church, the Grade I listed 'Church of St Lawrence'.[5] in the diocese of Canterbury, in Kent, and in the deanery of Sittingbourne.[2]

Other listed buildings in the parish include, the former post office,[6] No 35, The Street (on the A2 road),[7] and No 1, School Lane [8]

Bapchild was also on the planned extension of the Swale Way (a bypass route, called the 'Sittingbourne Northern Relief road' (built in 2010/11)), which passes over the Milton Creek heads from the A249 road (past Kemsley) towards the Eurolink Industrial estate in Murston and then towards the East Hall Farm residential development.[9] Plans were to extend it, over the railway to Bapchild, and onwards to the Kent Science Park near Highsted,[10] before joining the M2 Motorway, but these have been put on hold due to cost and planning issues.[11]

References

1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
2. Hasted, Edward (1800). "Parishes". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Institute of Historical Research. 6: 122–132. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
3. • Kelly, S. E. (2004). "Wihtred (d. 725), king of Kent". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29381. Retrieved 27 November 2012. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
4. "S22". The Electronic Sawyer: Online Catalogue of Anglo-Saxon Charters. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
5. "Church of St Lawrence, Bapchild". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
6. "The Post Office, Bapchild". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
7. "35, the Street, Bapchild". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
8. "1, School Lane, Bapchild". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
9. "Sittingbourne Northern Relief Road opens". kentnews.co.uk. 15 December 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
10. "Kent Science Park eyes successful 2012". kentnews.co.uk. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
11. "Final stage of Northern Relief Road bypass is shelved". courier.co.uk. 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.