Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is 3 miles (5 km) west of the town.
Speldhurst has a primary school, a parish church, a general store with post office, a pub, and a small business park. There is a residential care home for the elderly, Birchwood House, which is a former manor house with a rich history. Speldhurst football team plays on the local recreation ground, the pitch is considered one of the best in the surrounding area.
The name Speldhurst derives from the Old English for 'wooded hill ('hyrst') where wood-chips ('speld') are found'.[2]
Parish churchedit
St Mary's Church, Speldhurst
St Mary's Church Speldhurst was designed by John Oldrid Scott and built by Hope Constable of Penshurst, being dedicated to St Mary on 6 May 1871. The stained glass windows are by Burne Jones and William Morris. At present the parish of Speldhurst is part of a united parish with Ashurst and Groombridge. A previous incumbent of St Mary's Church Speldhurst was Rev Baden Powell, the father of Lord Baden-Powell who founded the Scout Movement. Rev. Powell married his second wife in the Church, and she is buried in the churchyard.
Speldhurst has an annual pram race on the second Sunday in May. There are various race categories of different age groups with the main event being two laps around the village. Contestants have to push a "baby" around the course and all have to down half a pint every time they pass the two drinks stations, one situated by The George and Dragon and the other by the Old Northfields pub.[5][6]
Stone Cross, a hamlet which includes Burrswood, a building designed by Decimus Burton
Referencesedit
^"Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
^"Key to English Place Names". University of Nottingham - Institute for Name Studies. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
^Mackinnon, Rev Donald Dimsdale; Mackinnon, Alan. History of Speldhurst. H.G. Groves, 1902. p. 47. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
^Telford, John (1934). The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/372 - Wikisource, the free online library. Epworth. p. 360. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
^"Speldhurst pram race preparations begin". This is Kent. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
^Verdon, Anna. "Hundreds turn out for annual Speldhurst Pram Race". Kent & Sussex Courier. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speldhurst.
speldhurst, village, civil, parish, borough, tunbridge, wells, kent, england, parish, west, tunbridge, wells, village, miles, west, town, location, within, kentpopulation4, 2011, census, including, ashurst, langton, green, grid, referencetq555415districttunbri. Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent England The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells the village is 3 miles 5 km west of the town SpeldhurstSpeldhurstLocation within KentPopulation4 978 2011 Census including Ashurst and Langton Green 1 OS grid referenceTQ555415DistrictTunbridge WellsShire countyKentRegionSouth EastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townTunbridge WellsPostcode districtTN3Dialling code01892PoliceKentFireKentAmbulanceSouth East CoastUK ParliamentTunbridge WellsList of places UK England Kent 51 09 06 N 0 13 19 E 51 1516 N 0 2219 E 51 1516 0 2219Speldhurst has a primary school a parish church a general store with post office a pub and a small business park There is a residential care home for the elderly Birchwood House which is a former manor house with a rich history Speldhurst football team plays on the local recreation ground the pitch is considered one of the best in the surrounding area Contents 1 History 2 Parish church 3 Local customs 4 Parish villages and hamlets 5 References 6 External linksHistory editThe name Speldhurst derives from the Old English for wooded hill hyrst where wood chips speld are found 2 Parish church edit nbsp St Mary s Church SpeldhurstSt Mary s Church Speldhurst was designed by John Oldrid Scott and built by Hope Constable of Penshurst being dedicated to St Mary on 6 May 1871 The stained glass windows are by Burne Jones and William Morris At present the parish of Speldhurst is part of a united parish with Ashurst and Groombridge A previous incumbent of St Mary s Church Speldhurst was Rev Baden Powell the father of Lord Baden Powell who founded the Scout Movement Rev Powell married his second wife in the Church and she is buried in the churchyard The hymnwriter Francis Pott resided in the parish until his death in 1909 Pott who wrote popular hymns such as Angel voices ever singing and The strife is o er the battle done donated a chalice and paten to the church plate of St Mary s 3 4 Local customs edit nbsp George and Dragon pubSpeldhurst has an annual pram race on the second Sunday in May There are various race categories of different age groups with the main event being two laps around the village Contestants have to push a baby around the course and all have to down half a pint every time they pass the two drinks stations one situated by The George and Dragon and the other by the Old Northfields pub 5 6 Parish villages and hamlets editAshurst Langton Green Old Groombridge Speldhurst itself Stone Cross a hamlet which includes Burrswood a building designed by Decimus BurtonReferences edit Civil Parish population 2011 Neighbourhood Statistics Office for National Statistics Retrieved 24 September 2016 Key to English Place Names University of Nottingham Institute for Name Studies Retrieved 2 September 2014 Mackinnon Rev Donald Dimsdale Mackinnon Alan History of Speldhurst H G Groves 1902 p 47 Retrieved 30 September 2019 Telford John 1934 The Methodist Hymn Book Illustrated djvu 372 Wikisource the free online library Epworth p 360 Retrieved 30 September 2019 Speldhurst pram race preparations begin This is Kent 23 August 2008 Retrieved 8 November 2012 Verdon Anna Hundreds turn out for annual Speldhurst Pram Race Kent amp Sussex Courier Retrieved 19 May 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speldhurst Speldhurst Online Speldhurst Parish Council website St Mary s church Speldhurst Pram Race on Facebook Speldhurst Pram Race Birchwood House nbsp This Kent location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Speldhurst amp oldid 1193107156, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
