Leeds, Kent
Leeds is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England.
| Leeds | |
|---|---|
Leeds | |
Leeds Location within Kent | |
| Population | 2,394 (Ward, 2011)[1] 790 (Parish, 2011)[2] |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Maidstone |
| Postcode district | ME17 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°14′47″N 0°36′24″E / 51.246310°N 0.606630°E | |
Location edit
The village is located five miles (8.0 km) to the east of Maidstone, the county town of Kent.
Etymology edit
It appeared in the Domesday Book as Esledes, possibly referring to a stream name.[3][4] It is so called because the village is on the hillside above the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway. An alternative explanation for the name is that it derived its name from Ledian, who built the first wooden fortress here in 978.[5][6]
Notable features edit
St Nicholas's Church has the second largest Norman tower in England. Leeds Priory was dissolved in 1539. To the east of the village is Leeds Castle. The church and the castle are Grade I listed buildings and the site of the priory is a scheduled monument.
To the west and between Otham and Leeds the area of Caring is located. Caring has a number of modern farmhouses, in the style of an Oast house. Another attraction is the old Vineyard, a free tourist feature.
It also has a primary school, Leeds and Broomfield Church of England Primary.[7]
References edit
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Leeds Ward (as of 2011) (E05004997)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Leeds Parish (E04004962)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ Domesday Book: A Complete Translation. Translated by Williams, Ann; Martin, G. H. London: Penguin Books. 2003. p. 19. ISBN 0-14-051535-6. OCLC 54415956.
- ^ Mills, Anthony (2011). A Dictionary of British Place-names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-852758-9. OCLC 59290127.
- ^ From: 'Leck - Leeds', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 46-55. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51100 Date accessed: 17 May 2009.
- ^ "britishcastle.co.uk". www.britishcastle.co.uk.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
External links edit
- Leeds Village Website
- Friends of Leeds and Broomfield Churches