Lower Hardres

Lower Hardres is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Lower Hardres and Nackington, in the City of Canterbury District of Kent, England.

An Ordnance Survey road map of Lower Hardres and the surrounding areas in the 20th Century.

Lower Hardres
War Memorial constructed by H G Browning to commemorate those who lost their lives in World War One
Lower Hardres Location within Kent
Area	9.14 km^2 (3.53 sq mi)
Population	570 (Civil Parish 2011)[1]
• Density	62/km^2 (160/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TR150530
Civil parish	Lower Hardres and Nackington
District	City of Canterbury
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CANTERBURY
Postcode district	CT4
Dialling code	01227
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Canterbury

History

The name of the Hardres family is perpetuated in the twin villages of Upper Hardres and Lower Hardres (pronounced 'hards'), on the Roman road, Stone Street, south-west of the city of Canterbury. The family owned the non-church land of area for 700 years after the Norman Conquest.[2]

A legal record in 1381 mentions William Sely, parson of "parva Ardres", & may indicate that a bell at Lower Hardres church was being made or repaired by John Buckingham. A debt of 45 marks is mentioned.[3]

John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Lower Lardres as:

A parish in Bridge district, Kent; on Stane-street, 3 miles ESE of Chartham r. station, and 3¼ S of Canterbury.[4]

On the 1st of April 1934 the parish of Nackington was merged into "Lower Hardres",[5] on the 1st of April 2019 the new parish was renamed to "Lower Hardres and Nackington".[6]

Location

Lower Hardres consists of a branch of roads that stem mainly from Canterbury. The populated areas of Lower Hardres are situated on minor roads, these being; Hardres Ct Road, Bridge Road and Faucett Hill. The parish church, St. Mary's is located on the east edge of the village, however another St, Mary's church can be found in Nackington, north of Lower Hardres on Nackington Road on the B2068.

The Parish is engulfed in the countryside with fields bordering the area. The closest city is Canterbury around 5 kilometres North of the Parish.

The Village

There are currently no schools that are currently situated in the village, however there are a few in other local areas such as Petham, Bridge and Bossingham, these contain primary schools all within a couple of miles of Lower Hardres. Garlinge Green possesses the closest secondary school to Lower Hardres and is just on the outskirts of Canterbury.[7]

John Baker White memorial hall

There are only a couple key buildings in the immediate area of the village. The village hall is situated within the center of the community and is more commonly known as the John Baker White Memorial Hall which was built in 1995. It has been awarded for its facilities and management, the hall itself is considered to be of rural nature on the outside, keeping in touch with the surroundings while boasting a more modern interior. It is home to a variety of local clubs, activities take place within the grounds and also different classes that are available for everyone. The hall can also be hired out as a venue for many different events.[8]

The Lower Hardres & Nackington Gardeners' Society also occupies the hall and supports Kents MS therapy centre where they have a stall for the centre at shows and offer activities and refreshments[9]

There are a few different businesses scattered within the immediate area such as a pet store, hair salon, office supply shop and a sport shop specializing in maintenance of facilities and safety.

There are two farms being run from within the village, Butts Farm and Street End Farms.[10]

Historical Buildings

Another influential building within the community when considering historical value is St Mary's, the local parish church is located on the eastern edge of the village. The church is believed to have been constructed around 1831-2 by Richmond and Hutchinson in an early English style on a similar if not the exact location an earlier church had occupied until being demolished. It contains a single stained glass window facing the east, behind the altar.[11] The churchyard which occupied the land before the current church contains headstones, as well as a small collection of chest tombs and oval bodystones.

Demography

Population

Census information from Vision of Britain and neighbourhood statistic has been combined to create a graph to show the total population in Lower Hardres.

Statistics from the census dating back to 1801 at the earliest offers a foundation for determining population growth. From the data collected the population of Lower Hardres was found to be at 215 during 1801.

Between the 1911 and 1921 census there had been a decrease in population which could be an impact of the first world war and conscription.

The population fluctuated whilst still maintaining moderate growth until 1961. Recent Census results have shown a positive growth from 1961 to an increased population of 557 in 2001, and to 570 in 2011.

Occupation

Occupation structure of the Lower hardres community concerning both males and females obtained from the 1881 census

The dominating sector from 1881 was agriculture with a high concentration of workers, predominantly male who could have been considered more appropriate for the type of work due to physical presence. There was also a high level of populace that had unknown occupations, also being only prominent with females, this may have been the cause of childbirth as a mother that worked to care for the family at home. Other professions such as authority lodging and animal care, were given considerably fewer workers.

References

1. Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 21 November 2013
2. Canterbury City Council
3. National Archives; CP 40/483; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT6/R2/CP40no483/483_0080.htm, second entry; John Buckingham, is a "clarioner"; year 1381
4. "History of Lower Hardres, in Canterbury and Kent | Map and description". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
5. "Relationships and changes Lower Hardres CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
6. "The Canterbury City Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2018" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
7. "Primary schools reviews for LowerHardres | School Guide". www.schoolguide.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
8. Hall, Lower Hardres Village. "Welcome to Lower Hardres Village Hall". www.lowerhardresvillagehall.org. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
9. "Charity Stall at Lower Hardres and Nackington Gardeners Society's Autumn Show". Kent MS Therapy Centre. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
10. "Lower Hardres Farm Shop". www.lowerhardresfarmshop.co.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
11. "St. Mary's, Lower Hardres - Canterbury DFAS". www.canterburydfas.org.uk. Retrieved 1 May 2017.

External links

Media related to Lower Hardres at Wikimedia Commons