191-627: Frindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent , southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester , and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury today is part of the town of Strood and covers the most northern part of the town. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor . Within
382-513: A Templar farm ) has plans for 600 homes to be built along with 161,458 square feet (15,000 square metres) of commercial space and a new two-hectare (4.9-acre) site for Morgan's Timber. Throughout the 19th century there had been proposals to join the Medway towns under a single authority. By 1903 moves began to take place: that year saw the creation of the Borough of Gillingham, to which, in 1928,
573-698: A 74-acre (30-hectare) area of brownfield land between the river and the railway line is being developed with high-density housing. Up to 50 homes per hectare will be built. The site will also include a primary school, two hotels, business centre, health centre, cafes, restaurants, bars and various commercial units. Numerous developments are proposed for the Chatham area including widening and straightening Union Street, development and improvements to The Brook and new developments at Gun Wharf and Chatham Waterfront. One such development at Chatham Waterfront (the area between Rochester railway station and Chatham Dockyard )
764-416: A Frankish pope. Adrian disclaims all belief in the rumour, but it is clear it had been a concern to him. The enemies of Offa and Charlemagne, described by Adrian as the source of the rumour, are not named. It is unclear whether this letter is related to the legatine mission of 786; if it predates it, then the mission might have been partly one of reconciliation, but the letter might well have been written after
955-472: A Mercian victory, but there is no evidence for Offa's authority over Kent until 785: a charter from 784 mentions only a Kentish king named Ealhmund , which may indicate that the Mercians were in fact defeated at Otford. The cause of the conflict is also unknown: if Offa was ruling Kent before 776, the battle of Otford was probably a rebellion against Mercian control. However, Ealhmund does not appear again in
1146-514: A build up of alluvium pushing 1,000 yds into the river. Though rarely more than 25 feet (7.6 m) in height, the Frindsbury peninsula became the centre of many industries. At the Strood end the coastal marsh became 600 yds wide. There is evidence of Roman piling so they could build a road, Watling Street , from Strood Hill across the marsh to the Medway which they bridged. At that time Strood
1337-418: A charter of Ecgberht's on the grounds that "it was wrong that his thegn should have presumed to give land allotted to him by his lord into the power of another without his witness", but the date of Ecgberht's original grant is unknown, as is the date of Offa's revocation of it. It may be that Offa was the effective overlord of Kent from 764 until at least 776. The limited evidence for Offa's direct involvement in
1528-414: A charter that freed ecclesiastical lands from all obligations except the requirement to build forts and bridges—obligations which lay upon everyone, as part of the trinoda necessitas . Offa's Kentish charters show him laying these same burdens on the recipients of his grants there, and this may be a sign that the obligations were being spread outside Mercia. These burdens were part of Offa's response to
1719-526: A decade at Charlemagne 's court as one of his chief advisors, and corresponded with kings, nobles and ecclesiastics throughout England. These letters in particular reveal Offa's relations with the continent, as does his coinage , which was based on Carolingian examples. Offa's ancestry is given in the Anglian collection , a set of genealogies that include lines of descent for four Mercian kings. All four lines descend from Pybba , who ruled Mercia early in
1910-620: A descendant of Eowa , Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald . Offa defeated the other claimant, Beornred . In the early years of Offa's reign, it is likely that he consolidated his control of Midland peoples such as the Hwicce and the Magonsæte . Taking advantage of instability in the kingdom of Kent to establish himself as overlord, Offa also controlled Sussex by 771, though his authority did not remain unchallenged in either territory. In
2101-534: A dispute with the Bishop of Worcester , which was settled at the Council of Brentford in 781. Many surviving coins from Offa's reign carry elegant depictions of him, and the artistic quality of these images exceeds that of the contemporary Frankish coinage. Some of his coins carry images of his wife, Cynethryth —the only Anglo-Saxon queen ever depicted on a coin. Only three gold coins of Offa's have survived: one
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#17327717241252292-594: A faction fight, though it is unclear whether it was between themselves or against the boys from Rochester. In 1891 the civil parish had a population of 5060. On 30 September 1894, the Local Government Board confirmed an order of Kent County Council , and Frindsbury parish was divided into Frindsbury Intra, and Frindsbury Extra . Intra joined the municipal borough of Rochester, while part of Frindsbury Extra joined Strood Rural District . The remaining part of Frindsbury Extra joined Rochester in 1934. It
2483-469: A great earthen barrier that runs approximately along the border between England and Wales . It is mentioned by the monk Asser in his biography of Alfred the Great: "a certain vigorous king called Offa ... had a great dyke built between Wales and Mercia from sea to sea". The dyke has not been dated by archaeological methods, but most historians find no reason to doubt Asser's attribution. Early names for
2674-534: A journal of the five-day trip containing the lines "we all proceeded merrily to Frendsbury". They examined Frindsbury Church, then walked to Upnor where Hogarth made a drawing of the beautiful and ancient Upnor Castle . They then examined the Ten Gun Battery and the Birds Nest Battery before walking to Hoo. Medway Towns Medway is a unitary authority area with borough status in
2865-444: A landscaped play area were completed in the 1990s, but there are plans to extend this development further along the river beyond Strood railway station with another 500 to 600 homes to be built, the waterfront developed with new recreational and leisure facilities, and access to the station, town centre and Medway City estate to be improved. This 173-acre (70-hectare) area between the river and Morgan's Timber yard in Strood (formerly
3056-560: A long and varied history dominated originally by the city of Rochester and later by the naval and military establishments principally in Chatham and Gillingham . Rochester was established on an Iron Age site by the Romans , who called it Durobrivae (meaning "stronghold by the bridge"), to control the point where Watling Street (now the A2) crossed the River Medway . Rochester later became
3247-513: A long tradition of joint kingship, with east and west Kent under separate kings, though one king was typically dominant. Prior to 762 Kent was ruled by Æthelberht II and Eadberht I ; Eadberht's son Eardwulf is also recorded as a king. Æthelberht died in 762, and Eadberht and Eardwulf are last mentioned in that same year. Charters from the next two years mention other kings of Kent, including Sigered , Eanmund and Heahberht . In 764, Offa granted land at Rochester in his own name, with Heahberht on
3438-479: A pendant. The variety of these depictions implies that Offa's die-cutters were able to draw on varied artistic sources for their inspiration. Offa's wife Cynethryth was the only Anglo-Saxon queen ever named or portrayed on coinage, in a remarkable series of pennies struck by the moneyer Eoba. These were probably derived from contemporary coins from the reign of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VI , who minted
3629-423: A request that his son Ecgfrith should also marry Charlemagne's daughter Bertha: Charlemagne was outraged by the request, and broke off contact with Britain, forbidding English ships from landing in his ports. Alcuin's letters make it clear that by the end of 790 the dispute was still not resolved, and that Alcuin was hoping to be sent to help make peace. In the end diplomatic relations were restored, at least partly by
3820-418: A result of a communication difficulty. The good folk of Frindsbury soundly beat up the monks who were trespassing. However, the church sided with the monks, and on Whit Monday the Frindsbury lads had to do penance by walking to abbey and craving forgiveness carrying their clubs. This continued till none of the participants was alive. In the 18th century the boys of Frindsbury and Strood met up each May Day to have
4011-483: A result their city status was rescinded. Medway Council apparently only became aware of this when they discovered that Rochester was not on the Lord Chancellor's Office 's list of cities. Medway applied for city status in the 2000 and 2002 competitions, but was unsuccessful. In 2010, it started to refer to the "City of Medway" in promotional material, but it was rebuked and instructed not to do so in future by
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#17327717241254202-574: A series of forts including Fort Amherst and the Lines, Fort Pitt and Fort Borstal . The majority of surviving buildings in the Historic Dockyard are Georgian. It was here that HMS Victory , Admiral Lord Nelson 's flagship at Trafalgar , was built and launched in 1765. Sir Francis Drake learned his seamanship on the Medway; Sir John Hawkins founded a hospital in Chatham for seamen, and Nelson began his Navy service at Chatham at
4393-490: A series showing a portrait of his mother, the later Empress Irene , though the Byzantine coins show a frontal bust of Irene rather than a profile, and so cannot have been a direct model. Around the time of Jænberht 's death and replacement with Æthelheard in 792–93, the silver currency was reformed a second time: in this "heavy coinage" the weight of the pennies was increased again, and a standardised non-portrait design
4584-554: A small section was built to access the Hempstead development and its shopping centre. However, the key middle stretch was left unbuilt, a link road to central Chatham via Luton, the B2156 North Dane Way was also left incomplete with no road to link to. The removal of Medway from Kent (which the incomplete section would lay in) and the recent widening of M2 leaves the proposed project with little chance of completion in
4775-540: A struggle between Offa and Charlemagne, but the disparity in their power was enormous. By 796 Charlemagne had become master of an empire which stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Hungarian Plain , and Offa and then Coenwulf were clearly minor figures by comparison. The nature of Mercian kingship is not clear from the limited surviving sources. There are two main theories regarding
4966-607: A transformation of the Mercian economy away from its origins as a grouping of midland peoples. The burhs are forerunners of the defensive network successfully implemented by Alfred the Great a century later to deal with the Danish invasions. However, Offa did not necessarily understand the economic changes that came with the burhs , so it is not safe to assume he envisioned all their benefits. In 749, Æthelbald of Mercia had issued
5157-453: A twelfth-century chronicler, records that in 771 Offa defeated "the people of Hastings", which may record the extension of Offa's dominion over the entire kingdom. However, doubts have been expressed about the authenticity of the charters which support this version of events, and it is possible that Offa's direct involvement in Sussex was limited to a short period around 770–71. After 772, there
5348-454: A vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy." It is now believed that Offa thought of himself as "King of the Mercians," and that his military successes were part of the transformation of Mercia from an overlordship of midland peoples into a powerful and aggressive kingdom. Offa died on 29 July 796, and may be buried in Bedford , though it is not clear that
5539-551: A walled town and, under later Saxon influence, a mint was established here. The first cathedral was built by Bishop Justus in 604 and rebuilt under the Normans by Bishop Gundulf , who also built the castle that stands opposite the cathedral. Rochester was also an important point for people travelling the Pilgrims' Way , which stretches from Winchester to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury . The Pilgrims' Way crossed
5730-478: A whole are expected to rise dramatically in residents as increased development and housing prices are considerably less than most of Kent and London, which is 30 miles away. In 2004, Medway Council announced its development strategy for the Medway Waterfront area. The report set out a 20-year framework plan for the redevelopment of up to seven miles (11 km) of waterfront and surrounding areas along
5921-438: A witness on charters and presides at synods without Hygeberht, so it appears that Offa continued to respect Canterbury 's authority. A letter from Pope Adrian to Charlemagne survives which makes reference to Offa, but the date is uncertain; it may be as early as 784 or as late as 791. In it Adrian recounts a rumour that had reached him: Offa had reportedly proposed to Charlemagne that Adrian should be deposed, and replaced by
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6112-583: Is HMS Unicorn (a 46-gun "Leda" class frigate) laid down in February 1822, and launched 30 March 1824. She never saw active service and has been restored and is (as of 2005) preserved afloat in Dundee , Scotland. On 25 November 1914 the battleship HMS Bulwark was moored at buoy number 17 at Kethole Reach on the River Medway. She was taking on coal from the airship base at Kingsnorth , on
6303-551: Is The Quays, a mixed-use development comprising two 20-storey residential towers, designed by WilkinsonEyre architects. A major development in Strood between Medway Valley Park and junction 2 of the M2 motorway , much of the Medway Gate development is inside a large abandoned chalk pit. The area has seen the building of over 400 homes since work began in 2006, including 125 affordable homes . Redevelopment including new homes and
6494-402: Is a copy of an Abbasid dinar of 774 and carries Arabic text on one side, with "Offa Rex" on the other. The gold coins are of uncertain use but may have been struck to be used as alms or for gifts to Rome. Many historians regard Offa as the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred the Great . His dominance never extended to Northumbria , though he gave his daughter Ælfflæd in marriage to
6685-627: Is a single carriageway A road. The A228 runs along the west bank of the Medway, through Strood. Intersecting the M2 at its second junction, crossing the A2 through the centre of Strood and meeting (and encompassing for a short stretch) the Northern Relief Road (A289). The road then carries on to the Isle of Grain . Throughout its passage through Strood it is single carriageway, but the stretches to
6876-458: Is bypassed to the north by the dualled Corporation Street. The A2 then crosses the high street, climbs Star Hill and follows New road by Fort Pitt / Jackson's Field to bypass Chatham to the south (by the Station, via a flyover known as New Cut). As it approaches Luton it is a dual carriageway for a short stretch, where a major junction lies with the railway (Chatham Main line) passes overhead — this
7067-573: Is known as Luton Arches. It then climbs Chatham Hill (to Gillingham) now has a separate bus lane. The A2 / Watling street traditionally bypasses central Gillingham which lies to the North. From the main road to Gillingham (Canterbury Street), the A2 is dual carriageway. Here the Northern Relief Road (A289) rejoins at the Will Adams roundabout. This is swiftly followed by the Bowater roundabout where
7258-528: Is largely unbuilt. The Medway Towns Southern Relief Road was proposed to link the (then) new developments to the south of Chatham (Walderslade) and Gillingham (Hempstead, Wigmore and Parkwood) with M2's J3 and the A229 to the east and the M2's J4 and A278 in the west. A single carriageway road was built south of Walderslade to access the Walderslade Woods and Lordswood developments. At the other end
7449-467: Is no evidence that Northumbria was ever under Mercian control during Offa's reign. Offa was frequently in conflict with the various Welsh kingdoms. There was a battle between the Mercians and the Welsh at Hereford in 760, and Offa is recorded as campaigning against the Welsh in 778, 784 and 796 in the tenth-century Annales Cambriae . The best known relic associated with Offa's time is Offa's Dyke ,
7640-522: Is no further evidence of Mercian involvement in Sussex until c. 790, and it may be that Offa gained control of Sussex in the late 780s, as he did in Kent. In East Anglia, Beonna probably became king in about 758. Beonna's first coinage predates Offa's own, and implies independence from Mercia. Subsequent East Anglian history is quite obscure, but in 779 Æthelberht II became king, and was independent long enough to issue coins of his own. In 794, according to
7831-528: Is no record of an independent ruler after 740. Offa was probably able to exert control over the kingdom of Lindsey at an early date, as it appears that the independent dynasty of Lindsey had disappeared by this time. Little is known about the history of the East Saxons during the 8th century, but what evidence there is indicates that both London and Middlesex, which had been part of the kingdom of Essex, were finally brought under Mercian control during
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8022-492: Is noteworthy for two reasons: it is the first recorded consecration of any English king, and it is unusual in that it asserted Ecgfrith's royal status while his father was still alive. Offa would have been aware that Charlemagne 's sons, Pippin and Louis , had been consecrated as kings by Pope Adrian , and probably wished to emulate the impressive dignity of the Frankish court. Other precedents did exist: Æthelred of Mercia
8213-536: Is now in the unparished area of Rochester. Modern day Frindsbury is often referred to as North Strood as it lies within the borders of the very northern part of the town, contiguous to the village of Wainscott. Its population is included in Strood's approximate 40,000 residents. Although Frindsbury is considered part of Strood, the parish of Frindsbury Extra lies outside the borders of Strood and comes under Rochester. The parish includes Upnor, Wainscott, Chattenden and various other small hamlets which are situated north of
8404-421: Is possible that Offa and Æthelbald were from the same branch of the family. In one charter Offa refers to Æthelbald as his kinsman, and Headbert, Æthelbald's brother, continued to witness charters after Offa rose to power. Offa's wife was Cynethryth , whose ancestry is unknown. The couple had a son, Ecgfrith , and at least three daughters: Ælfflæd, Eadburh and Æthelburh. It has been speculated that Æthelburh
8595-400: Is referring to the report of the legatine mission in 786, which issued statutes that the Mercians undertook to obey. At the start of the 8th century, sceattas were the primary circulating coinage . These were small silver pennies, which often did not bear the name of either the moneyer or the king for whom they were produced. To contemporaries these were probably known as pennies, and are
8786-756: Is run by Creative Medway, a sector-led organisation drawing together business, cultural sector organisations and freelancers. There are five theatres in Medway, two run by the council and three independent. The council theatres are the Central Theatre (966 seats hosting a variety of tribute acts) and the Brook Theatre in the Old town hall (400 seats hosting a variety of shows). The independent theatres are Medway Little Theatre (96 seats), The Oasthouse Theatre and Kings Theatre (110 seats). Watling Street (the A2 ),
8977-454: Is said to have nominated his son Coenred as king during his lifetime, and Offa may have known of Byzantine examples of royal consecration. Despite the creation of the new archdiocese, Jænberht retained his position as the senior cleric in the land, with Hygeberht conceding his precedence. When Jænberht died in 792, he was replaced by Æthelheard, who was consecrated by Hygeberht , now senior in his turn. Subsequently, Æthelheard appears as
9168-495: Is that Ecgfrith "has not died for his own sins; but the vengeance for the blood his father shed to secure the kingdom has reached the son. For you know very well how much blood his father shed to secure the kingdom on his son." It is apparent that in addition to Ecgfrith's consecration in 787, Offa had eliminated dynastic rivals. This seems to have backfired, from the dynastic point of view, as no close male relatives of Offa or Ecgfrith are recorded, and Coenwulf , Ecgfrith's successor,
9359-427: Is unrecorded. Æthelbald was initially succeeded by Beornred , about whom little is known. The continuation of Bede comments that Beornred "ruled for a little while, and unhappily", and adds that "the same year, Offa, having put Beornred to flight, sought to gain the kingdom of the Mercians by bloodshed." It is possible that Offa did not gain the throne until 758, however, since a charter of 789 describes Offa as being in
9550-541: The Advertising Standards Authority . Medway Council made a further bid for city status in 2012, when three cities were afforded the honour as part of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee civic honours competition. Ultimately Medway was unsuccessful with the eventual winners being Chelmsford (Essex), Perth (Perthshire), and St Asaph (Denbighshire). The council comprises 59 councillors representing different wards . The party political breakdown of
9741-571: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , "King Offa ordered King Æthelberht's head to be struck off". Offa minted pennies in East Anglia in the early 790s, so it is likely that Æthelberht rebelled against Offa and was beheaded as a result. Accounts of the event have survived in which Aethelberht is killed through the machinations of Offa's wife Cynethryth, but the earliest manuscripts in which these possibly legendary accounts are found date from
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#17327717241259932-458: The Archbishop of Canterbury . Offa persuaded Pope Adrian I to divide the archdiocese of Canterbury in two, creating a new archdiocese of Lichfield . This reduction in the power of Canterbury may have been motivated by Offa's desire to have an archbishop consecrate his son Ecgfrith as king, since it is possible Jænberht refused to perform the ceremony, which took place in 787. Offa had
10123-476: The Borough of Medway , a local government district in the county of Kent. Gillingham chose to remain separate. Under letters patent the former city council area was to continue to be styled the "City of Rochester" to "perpetuate the ancient name" and to recall "the long history and proud heritage of the said city". The city was unique, as it had no council or charter trustees and no mayor or civic head. In 1979,
10314-545: The Bristol Channel . The total length of this section is about 64 miles (103 km). Other earthworks exist along the Welsh border, of which Wat's Dyke is one of the largest, but it is not possible to date them relative to each other and so it cannot be determined whether Offa's Dyke was a copy of or the inspiration for Wat's Dyke. The construction of the dyke suggests that it was built to create an effective barrier and to command views into Wales. This implies that
10505-705: The Bulwark ' s dead, who were mostly drawn from the Portsmouth area. The explosion could be heard from up to 20 mi (30 km) at Southend and Whitstable . In terms of loss of life it remains the second worst explosion in British history. Less than six months later there was a second explosion. This time it was the Princess Irene . She was a 1,500-passenger liner built at Dumbarton in 1914 for Canadian Pacific . Before she could leave Britain she
10696-562: The Chronicle ' s "three years" is an error, and should read "thirteen years", which would mean Egbert's exile lasted from 789 to 802, but this reading is disputed. Eadburh is mentioned by Asser , a 9th-century monk who wrote a biography of Alfred the Great : Asser says that Eadburh had "power throughout almost the entire kingdom", and that she "began to behave like a tyrant after the manner of her father". Whatever power she had in Wessex
10887-586: The Isle of Grain when an internal explosion (most likely the result of cordite charges stored alongside a boiler room bulkhead and failure to follow guidelines on the storage of shells) ripped the ship apart. In all, the explosion killed 745 men and 51 officers. Five of the 14 men who survived died later of their wounds, and almost all of the others were seriously wounded. There are mass and individual graves in Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham for
11078-728: The Ismere Diploma , for example, where Æthelric, son of king Oshere of the Hwicce, is described as a " subregulus ", or subking, of Æthelbald's. The eighth-century monk and chronicler the Venerable Bede wrote a history of the English church called Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum ; the history only covers events up to 731, but as one of the major sources for Anglo-Saxon history it provides important background information for Offa's reign. Offa's Dyke , most of which
11269-684: The M20 . The A278 Hoath Way links the A2 at Gillingham to its southern suburbs (Hempstead, Wigmore and Parkwood) to the M2's fourth junction. It is dual carriageway throughout. The A289 was built in the 1990s as the Medway Towns Northern Relief Road . Constructed in three stages, firstly it bypasses Strood with a dual carriageway from Three Crutches (M2 J1) to the A226 and the A228 (The Wainscott Northern Bypass). It then joins
11460-601: The Medway Towns . Medway is one of the boroughs included in the Thames Gateway development scheme. It is also the home of Universities at Medway , a tri-partite collaboration of the University of Greenwich , the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University on a single campus in Chatham, together with the Medway School of Arts . Because of its strategic location by the major crossing of
11651-522: The Medway Towns . Many other towns and villages such as Frindsbury and Brompton lie within the conurbation. Outside the urban area, the villages retain parish councils. Cuxton , Halling and Wouldham are in the Medway Gap region to the south of Rochester and Strood. Hoo St Werburgh , Cliffe , High Halstow , St Mary Hoo , Allhallows , Stoke and Grain are on the Hoo Peninsula to
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#173277172412511842-636: The River Medway , the borough has made a wide and significant contribution to Kent, and to England, dating back thousands of years, as evident in the siting of Watling Street by the Romans and by the Norman Rochester Castle , Rochester Cathedral (the second oldest in Britain) and the Chatham naval dockyard and its associated defences. The main towns in the conurbation are (from west to east): Strood , Rochester , Chatham , Gillingham , and Rainham . These are traditionally known as
12033-714: The brickearth was removed and the topsoil replaced and farming continued or orchards were planted. Ten Gun Field was in operation in 1800 and produced around 2.5 million bricks annually over the period. Production peaked in 1844 when it produced 14 million, 1% of the national output. The bricks were Yellow Stock bricks, the colour produced by adding up to 17% chalk to the clay. The brick were graded as Firsts , Seconds (used for facings), Thirds (used for internals), Roughs (used for hardcore) and Chuffs that were unusable. Other later brickfields were at Barn Meadow (today's Sholden Road) which produced reds, Wickenden Brickyard by Cooling Road, and Frindsbury Brickyard owned by
12224-484: The ceremonial county of Kent in South East England . It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham , and is administered by Medway Council , which is independent from Kent County Council . The borough had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The borough contains the towns of Chatham , Gillingham, Rainham , Rochester and Strood , which are collectively known as
12415-492: The kingdom of Sussex comes from charters, and as with Kent there is no clear consensus among historians on the course of events. What little evidence survives that bears on Sussex's kings indicates that several kings ruled at once, and it may never have formed a single kingdom. It has been argued that Offa's authority was recognised early in his reign by local kings in western Sussex, but that eastern Sussex (the area around Hastings) submitted to him less readily. Symeon of Durham ,
12606-488: The "Bedeford" named in that charter was actually modern Bedford. He was succeeded by his son, Ecgfrith of Mercia , but according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Ecgfrith died after a reign of only 141 days. A letter written by Alcuin in 797 to a Mercian ealdorman named Osbert makes it apparent that Offa had gone to great lengths to ensure that his son Ecgfrith would succeed him. Alcuin's opinion
12797-438: The 10th century, when this title was standard for kings of England. The best evidence for Offa's use of this title comes from coins, not charters: there are some pennies with "Of ℞ A" inscribed, but it is not regarded as definite that this stood for "Offa Rex Anglorum." In Anglo-Saxon England , Stenton argued that Offa was perhaps the greatest king of the English kingdoms, commenting that "no other Anglo-Saxon king ever regarded
12988-423: The 11th and 12th centuries, and recent historians do not regard them with confidence. The legend also claims that Æthelberht was killed at Sutton St. Michael and buried four miles (6 km) to the south at Hereford , where his cult flourished, becoming at one time second only to Canterbury as a pilgrimage destination. To the south of Mercia, Cynewulf came to the throne of Wessex in 757 and recovered much of
13179-462: The 760s when Offa is known to have intervened in Kent. Offa rescinded grants made to Canterbury by Egbert, and it is also known that Jænberht claimed the monastery of Cookham , which was in Offa's possession. In 786 Pope Adrian I sent papal legates to England to assess the state of the church and provide canons (ecclesiastical decrees) for the guidance of the English kings, nobles and clergy. This
13370-486: The 780s he extended Mercian Supremacy over most of southern England, allying with Beorhtric of Wessex , who married Offa's daughter Eadburh , and regained complete control of the southeast. He also became the overlord of East Anglia and had King Æthelberht II of East Anglia beheaded in 794, perhaps for rebelling against him. Offa was a Christian king who came into conflict with the Church, particularly with Jænberht ,
13561-412: The 7th century. Offa's line descends through Pybba's son Eowa and then through three more generations: Osmod, Eanwulf and Offa's father, Thingfrith. Æthelbald, who ruled Mercia for most of the forty years before Offa, was also descended from Eowa according to the genealogies: Offa's grandfather, Eanwulf, was Æthelbald's first cousin. Æthelbald granted land to Eanwulf in the territory of the Hwicce, and it
13752-502: The 8th century. It is unlikely that Offa had significant influence in the early years of his reign outside the traditional Mercian heartland. The overlordship of the southern English which had been exerted by Æthelbald appears to have collapsed during the civil strife over the succession, and it is not until 764, when evidence emerges of Offa's influence in Kent, that Mercian power can be seen expanding again. Offa appears to have exploited an unstable situation in Kent after 762. Kent had
13943-604: The A228 (as The Wainscott Eastern Bypass) — these two parts are dualled. A dualled link road leads to the Medway Tunnel to the Chatham Dockyard . Here it meets Dock Road ( A231 ) that leads to Chatham. The A289 continues between northern Gillingham and the river, and then turns southwards through Gillingham Golf Course to rejoin the A2 at the Will Adams roundabout. The A2045 is the A289's counterpart, however it
14134-581: The A278 Hoath Way leads to the M2 to the South, this is so named and distinctive because of the former paper mill Bowaters at this location that left a giant water tower. A large Tesco supermarket currently inhabits the site. As the road progresses into Rainham it becomes single carriageway again. Connecting Medway with neighbouring Gravesend is the A226 . This leaves the A2 on the hill above Strood. It
14325-739: The Bishop. Following the Danish wars or the 9th and 10th century the area was wrested from the church and eventually came under the control of Harold Godwinson . Following Harold's defeat at the Battle of Hastings , William the Conqueror gave the lands to Odo , bishop of Bayeux, Earl of Kent, and William's half brother. Archbishop Lanfranc recovered them again at the Trial of Penenden Heath (c.1072) and restored them to Bishop Gundulf of Rochester. Gundulf
14516-418: The Borough of Medway was renamed as Rochester-upon-Medway , and in 1982 further letters patent transferred the city status to the entire borough. The modern borough was created on 1 April 1998 as part of the 1990s local government reforms . The way the change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county , both of which were called 'Medway Towns', each covering
14707-552: The Franks. Charlemagne's letter also refers to exiles from England, naming Odberht, who was almost certainly the same person as Eadberht Præn , among them. Egbert of Wessex was another refugee from Offa who took shelter at the Frankish court. It is clear that Charlemagne's policy included support for elements opposed to Offa; in addition to sheltering Egbert and Eadberht he also sent gifts to Æthelred I of Northumbria . Events in southern Britain to 796 have sometimes been portrayed as
14898-494: The Frindsbury ridge, and alluvial clay from the Medway Estuary. The cement works were, from north to south: By 1904, when these works reached their greatest development, there were 132 kilns with 30 kiln chimneys, capable of making around 4000 tons of cement a week, and employed 800. All the works started as independent companies, but were gradually merged, and in 1900 the entire site was acquired by APCM , who renamed
15089-548: The Joint Amalgamation Committee decided in favour of the amalgamation and invited representatives from Strood Rural District Council to join the Committee. In 1960, a proposal was made by Rochester Council that the merger be effected by the city absorbing the two other towns, to safeguard its ancient charters and city status. This led to Gillingham Council voting to leave the committee, as it believed
15280-544: The Manor house is an early fifteenth-century tithe barn . The barn is a grade I listed building at UK grid reference TQ7474870065 . In early 2003 the barn suffered a serious fire which destroyed four of its thirteen bays . The damaged and fallen timbers were salvaged during the following summer and are stored in the undamaged part of the barn. The barn is owned by the Church Commissioners who, prior to
15471-609: The Medway Valley and are thought to date from the Marine Isotope Stage 9 interglacial. The larger flint handaxe at 29.6 cm long makes it the third largest known to be found in Britain. The size of the handaxe and its distinctive symmetrical elongated tapering tip is typical of a type of handaxe known as a ficron . A Bronze Age sword was discovered at Upnor. Michael Nightingale in 1953 argued that there
15662-1010: The Medway near Cuxton . In Rochester, parts of the Roman city wall are still in evidence, and the city has many fine buildings, such as the Guildhall (today a museum), which was built in 1687 and is among the finest 17th-century civic buildings in Kent; the Corn Exchange, built in 1698, originally the Butcher's Market; the small Tudor house of Watts Charity endowed by Sir Richard Watts to house "six poor travelers" for one night each; Satis House and Old Hall, both visited by Queen Elizabeth I , built in 1573. In Medway there are 82 scheduled ancient monuments , 832 Listed buildings and 22 conservation areas . The Royal Navy opened an anchorage dockyard in Gillingham (Jillingham Water) during
15853-595: The Medway via two bridges in a dual carriageway (see Rochester Bridge ). One bridge is Victorian and in the position of the original Roman bridge. The second bridge is more recent and build upon the piers of the original London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) main line railway bridge (the Chatham Main Line uses the South Eastern Railway 's branch line's bridge). In Rochester the High street
16044-407: The Mercians who built it were free to choose the best location for the dyke. There are settlements to the west of the dyke that have names that imply they were English by the 8th century, so it may be that in choosing the location of the barrier the Mercians were consciously surrendering some territory to the native Britons . Alternatively, it may be that these settlements had already been retaken by
16235-681: The North are dualled partially toward Grain. The road to Grain was an accident black spot, this and increased traffic from the major port of Thamesport which is located to the north-west along the Medway Estuary prompted the construction of a new dual carriageway . The A228 Main Road to Ropers Lane project was provisionally approved by the government in December 2001. Design work started in March 2000 and in February 2004, contractors got under way with moving services such as water, gas and fuel pipes. This work
16426-519: The Northumbrian king Æthelred I in 792. Historians once saw his reign as part of a process leading to a unified England, but this is no longer the majority view: in the words of historian Simon Keynes , "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy." His son Ecgfrith succeeded him after his death, but reigned for less than five months before Coenwulf of Mercia became king. In
16617-482: The River Medway. The project aims to create between 6,000 and 8,000 new homes and 8,500 jobs, against central government targets of 16,000 new homes and 23,000 new jobs for the Medway area as a whole. Among the transport proposals set forth for consideration were a new bridge linking the Medway City industrial estate to central Chatham; the removal of Chatham's gyratory system along with an associated relocation of
16808-663: The Roman road between the Port of Dover on the English Channel and London, runs through Medway. This route became particularly congested and led to the building of the M2 to bypass the Medway Towns to the south in the 1960s and was subsequently widened extensively at the turn of the 21st century. The A2 through the Medway Towns varies from single carriageway to dual carriageway to "one way" systems. In places it deviates from
16999-537: The South where at Fort Horstead / Rochester Airport / Mid Kent College it meets the branch from Chatham (the A230 which starts at Chatham Station / New Cut). From here it continues south, becoming dual carriageway and meeting the M2 at its third junction, which also provides access with Walderslade . This road then proceeds down Blue Bell Hill (from the summit of the North Downs) to the county town of Maidstone and
17190-481: The Welsh, implying a defensive role for the barrier. The effort and expense that must have gone into building the dyke are impressive, and suggest that the king who had it built (whether Offa or someone else) had considerable resources at his disposal. Other substantial construction projects of a similar date do exist, however, such as Wat's Dyke and Danevirke , in what is now Germany as well as such sites as Stonehenge from millennia earlier. The dyke can be regarded in
17381-617: The West Saxon throne. Even if Offa did not assist Beorhtric's claim, it seems likely that Beorhtric to some extent recognised Offa as his overlord shortly thereafter. Offa's currency was used across the West Saxon kingdom, and Beorhtric had his own coins minted only after Offa's death. In 789, Beorhtric married Eadburh , a daughter of Offa; the Chronicle records that the two kings combined to exile Egbert to Francia for "three years", adding that "Beorhtric helped Offa because he had his daughter as his queen". Some historians believe that
17572-542: The West family (closed in 1931). The business declined when the Fletton clay at Peterborough began to be exploited. This clay contained 5% tar oil, so required less fuel to fire. The Frindsbury brickyards reverted to agriculture or were used for new housing. Portland Cement is made from a mixture of chalk and clay containing alumina and silica. It was first manufactured in 1842 at Rotherhithe by William Aspdin , and
17763-511: The adjoining parish of Rainham was added. In 1944, a Medway Towns Joint Amalgamation Committee was formed by the borough corporations of Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester, to discuss the possibility of the towns forming a single county borough . In 1948 the Local Government Boundary Commission recommended that the area become a "most purposes" county borough, but the recommendation was not carried out. In 1956
17954-486: The age of 12. Other notable sea-faring and naval figures, such as William Adams , were raised on the Medway but apprenticed elsewhere. The river was further protected by such fortifications as Upnor Castle which, in 1667 in varying accounts says it was partly successful in thwarting the Dutch raid on the dockyard , or the commanding officer fled without firing on the Dutch. Another warship built at Chatham that still exists
18145-512: The agency of Gervold, the abbot of St Wandrille . Charlemagne sought support from the English church at the council of Frankfurt in 794, where the canons passed in 787 at the Second Council of Nicaea were repudiated, and the heresies of two Spanish bishops, Felix and Elipandus , were condemned. In 796 Charlemagne wrote to Offa; the letter survives and refers to a previous letter of Offa's to Charlemagne. This correspondence between
18336-459: The ancestry of Mercian kings of this period. One is that descendants of different lines of the royal family competed for the throne. In the mid-7th century, for example, Penda had placed royal kinsmen in control of conquered provinces. Alternatively, it may be that a number of kin-groups with local power-bases may have competed for the succession. The sub-kingdoms of the Hwicce , the Tomsæte and
18527-413: The annual payment of 365 mancuses that Offa promised to Rome. There are other Western copies of Abbasid dinars of the period, but it is not known whether they are English or Frankish. Two other English gold coins of the period survive, from two moneyers, Pendraed and Ciolheard: the former is thought to be from Offa's reign but the latter may belong either to Offa's reign or to that of Coenwulf, who came to
18718-434: The arcade are the aisle posts (2m high) supporting an aisle tie to the main arcade posts. The aisle posts are linked by the eaves plate, though not braced to it. Resting on and braced to the collar beams are crown posts supporting a collar plate. The rafters are supported by the eaves plates, arcade plates and collar plates forming a single unbroken slope. To complete the exterior of the building, weatherboards run from under
18909-414: The assignment of those lands to laypeople. In the 770s, an abbess named Æthelburh (who may have been the same person as Offa's daughter of that name) held multiple leases on religious houses in the territory of the Hwicce ; her acquisitions have been described as looking "like a speculator assembling a portfolio". Æthelburh's possession of these lands foreshadows Cynethryth 's control of religious lands, and
19100-495: The award of a pallium to Lichfield depended on "deception and misleading suggestion". Another possible reason for the creation of an archbishopric at Lichfield relates to Offa's son, Ecgfrith of Mercia . After Hygeberht became archbishop, he consecrated Ecgfrith as king; the ceremony took place within a year of Hygeberht's elevation. It is possible that Jænberht refused to perform the ceremony, and that Offa needed an alternative archbishop for that purpose. The ceremony itself
19291-413: The barge. They helped lower and raise the mast so the barge could shoot the bridge. They were let off at Janes Creek or Temple Creek in Strood. The Hill on which Frindsbury stands is riddled with holes. These are possibly from ancient mining or could be natural caves caused by water erosion. At various points these have opened up killing at least one woman as well as causing subsidence. Half of Frindsbury
19482-438: The barn earthen and chalk floors can be found. In bays 8 and 9 worn cobbles and granite setts are again associated with animals, particularly with a nearby stable door and chewed timbers. Bay 11 has timber floors in each aisle. The timbers are hand sawn and old. Brick sleeper walls discovered by excavation indicate that the timber flooring may have continued across the whole width. Similar sleeper walls have been found in
19673-417: The barn. They may originally have been lime rendered internally. The heart of the structure is a series of rectangular frames (arcade posts and collar beams) rising approximately 5 metres (16 ft) above the dwarf walls. The frames are transversely braced. Linking the tops of the frames longitudinally is the arcade plate which is jointed and braced to each upright. 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) outside
19864-642: The border territory that Æthelbald had conquered from the West Saxons. Offa won an important victory over Cynewulf at the Battle of Bensington (in Oxfordshire ) in 779, reconquering some of the land along the Thames. No indisputably authentic charters from before this date show Cynewulf in Offa's entourage, and there is no evidence that Offa ever became Cynewulf's overlord. In 786, after the murder of Cynewulf, Offa may have intervened to place Beorhtric on
20055-538: The building was converted into housing in 2020. Frindsbury today is principally a dormitory suburb of Rochester with significant commercial activity on the Frindsbury Peninsula. The housing merges Frindsbury and Strood. The availability of such housing is to the part caused by the previous land usage. Until 1811, most inhabitants worked in agriculture, but by 1831, 90% worked in quarrying or manufacturing making this an industrial hot spot, well in advance of
20246-399: The chair of the council to take the title of mayor . The first elections to the new council were in 1997; it initially acted as a shadow authority to oversee the transition to the new system, before formally coming into office on 1 April 1998. With effect from that day, the incoming council changed the borough and non-metropolitan county's name from Medway Towns to just Medway. Since it was
20437-511: The chalk from Tower Hill declined, it was brought by barge from Halling. The Formby Works closed in 1909. To get under the Rochester Bridge , without losing headway, barges would approach at speed and drop their mast, using the winch at the bow, and when safely under, raise it again. To do this required extra crew, so called 'Hufflers', who were taken on at Whitewall creek. They waited offshore in their skiffs which were then tethered to
20628-440: The changes were the blocking up of all the medieval doors and the insertion of later entrances. At various times low and high level partitions have been added. Evidence of this activity is present in chisel work, nail holes, mortices and the impression of boards in remaining timbers. Most of the floor is nineteenth-century concrete with drainage channels. This appears to be associated with the housing of cattle. In other parts of
20819-541: The church pre restoration is in the British Library. The church has recently been fitted with disabled access, a WC and a kitchenette to the rear of the nave. Quarry House is first mentioned in 1575. Then there was an early 17th-century brick residence, which became a fashionable place for a visit, to observe the prospect. It was demolished in 1897 so that the chalk on which it stood could be extracted. Drawings of it were made before its destruction. A full history of
21010-458: The city. Offa's diplomatic relations with Europe are well documented, but appear to belong only to the last dozen years of his reign. In letters dating from the late 780s or early 790s, Alcuin congratulates Offa for encouraging education and greets Offa's wife and son, Cynethryth and Ecgfrith . In about 789, or shortly before, Charlemagne proposed that his son Charles marry one of Offa's daughters, most likely Ælfflæd . Offa countered with
21201-433: The civil parish of Frindsbury Extra are the villages of Frindsbury, Wainscott , and Upnor . Frindsbury was also the name given to an electoral ward in the City of Rochester that straddled the parishes of Frindsbury and Strood . Frindsbury lies on the northwest bank of the Medway at its lowest bridging point. After a narrow but marshy coastal strip, the land rises steeply to plateau at about 100 ft (30 m). This
21392-614: The closure of Chatham Dockyard. A museum dedicated to the Royal Marines can be found close to the dockyard at the Royal Engineers Museum in Brompton. Founded in 1812, it moved to its current site in 1987. It was classed as Grade II listed on 5 December 1996. After World War II, the Medway conurbation expanded to the south as areas including Walderslade, Lordswood, Hempstead and Wigmore were developed, aided by
21583-499: The coins referred to in the laws of Ine of Wessex . This light coinage (in contrast to the heavier coins minted later in Offa's reign) can probably be dated to the late 760s and early 770s. A second, medium-weight coinage can be identified before the early 790s. These new medium-weight coins were heavier, broader and thinner than the pennies they replaced, and were prompted by the contemporary Carolingian currency reforms. The new pennies almost invariably carried both Offa's name and
21774-421: The combined area of the previous local government districts of Rochester-upon-Medway and Gillingham. There is no separate county council; instead the district council also performs county council functions, making it a unitary authority. The district remains part of the ceremonial county of Kent for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty . The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing
21965-512: The construction of the M2 motorway in the 1960s. The population of Medway is projected to increase to around 300,000 by 2028 according to 2013 projections. Medway Council foresees total investment on development to be in excess of £1 billion over a 20-year period from 2006. As of 2019, the towns in order of population (approximate figures) were Gillingham (85,000 – not including Rainham), Chatham (78,000), Strood (40,000), Rochester (30,000 – not including Strood) and Rainham (25,000). The towns as
22156-464: The contemporary Frankish currency. Coin portraits of Offa have been described as "showing a delicacy of execution which is unique in the whole history of the Anglo-Saxon coinage". The depictions of Offa on the coins include a "striking and elegant" portrait showing him with his hair in voluminous curls, and another where he wears a fringe and tight curls. Some coins show him wearing a necklace with
22347-457: The council following the 2023 local elections is: Parts of the unitary authority are parished , chiefly the rural areas. There are currently 11 parishes: Medway operates a two-tier education system, with academic selection for admission to secondary schools determined by the eleven plus exam . There are a number of grammar schools located in the area, the other secondary schools in Medway being non-selective (apart from one faith schools and
22538-416: The damaged bay 3. Both these bays are thought to be the location of the medieval entrances and Austin suggests that they may have been threshing floors . The present church was started around 1075 by Paulinus, sacrist of Rochester who gave books and vestments to it. It was rebuilt in 1127. There was more building in the 14th century and around 1407. The church was extensively restored in 1884. An image of
22729-511: The dyke in both Welsh and English also support the attribution to Offa. Despite Asser's comment that the dyke ran "from sea to sea", it is now thought that the original structure only covered about two-thirds of the length of the border: in the north it ends near Llanfynydd , less than five miles (8 km) from the coast, while in the south it stops at Rushock Hill , near Kington in Herefordshire, less than fifty miles (80 km) from
22920-464: The eaves vertically down to the ground plates . The weatherboards are thought to be a rare survival of the original boards. A dendrochronological of one board gave 1357, but this was not the outermost ring of the tree. The roof may have been originally thatched but is now covered with peg tiles. The entire roof has been retiled on new battens during the 1970s though earlier hand-made tiles have been reused alongside modern machine made tiles. Although
23111-411: The establishment of a rival archdiocese at Lichfield . The issue must have been discussed with the papal legates in 786, although it is not mentioned in the accounts that have survived. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports a "contentious synod" in 787 at Chelsea , which approved the creation of the new archbishopric. It has been suggested that this synod was the same gathering as the second council held by
23302-418: The extent of power achieved by Offa, a Mercian. That power can be seen at work in charters dating from Offa's reign. Charters were documents which granted land to followers or to churchmen and were witnessed by the kings who had the authority to grant the land. A charter might record the names of both a subject king and his overlord on the witness list appended to the grant. Such a witness list can be seen on
23493-407: The fire, leased it to the farmer as an equipment store. The official listing description is drawn from Rigold (1966) and ascribes a date of 1300. Austin (2005 , p. 4) challenges this date on the basis of dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating performed in 2002. The former gives a felling date of 1403, the latter 1400 ± 60 years. The barn is of aisled construction and until the fire
23684-440: The first 5 bays, particularly at the east side. The footings in the west wall of bays 5 onwards were rebuilt in the 1970s. The rest consists of a mixture of eighteenth and nineteenth century repairs, often in brick. As well as the footings, parts of the ground plate and some weatherboards have been replaced. Some of this work was maintenance of the more vulnerable parts of the barn, but some reflected changing use. Notable amongst
23875-518: The first half of the 8th century, the dominant Anglo-Saxon ruler was King Æthelbald of Mercia , who by 731 had become the overlord of all the provinces south of the River Humber . Æthelbald was one of a number of strong Mercian kings who ruled from the mid-7th century to the early 9th, and it was not until the reign of Egbert of Wessex in the 9th century that Mercian power began to wane. The power and prestige that Offa attained made him one of
24066-463: The first site outside the Thames valley at which it was manufactured was on Limehouse Reach, Frindsbury. I. C. Johnson , who had previously made cement at Swanscombe , bought an oil mill at Frindsbury, and converted it to make cement, commencing on 1 May 1851. This became known as the Crown Works. Subsequently, six more cement works were built along Limehouse Reach, all using the chalk that forms
24257-425: The foreseeable future. The vast majority of local bus routes throughout Medway are centred upon the newly opened Waterfront bus station (replacing Pentagon bus station ) in Chatham. Most bus routes are run by Arriva Southern Counties , which took over the locally owned Maidstone & District bus company in the 1990s. Other local bus companies including Nu-Venture provide certain services, some under contract to
24448-406: The historical record, and a sequence of charters by Offa from the years 785–89 makes his authority clear. During these years he treated Kent "as an ordinary province of the Mercian kingdom", and his actions have been seen as going beyond the normal relation of overlordship and extending to the annexation of Kent and the elimination of a local royal line. After 785, in the words of one historian, "Offa
24639-532: The house was written in the late 19th. The purpose of a mediaeval church was to raise revenue for the Bishop (the same man being the Rector of Frindsbury), and the lands needed to be managed. The Bishop knowing the income would appoint a clerk in Holy Orders say mass and minister to the congregation- he would become the vicar. The rector would have a Parsonage, which could be rented out if he didn't use it. There
24830-427: The kingdom between 765 and 776 includes two charters of 774 in which he grants land in Kent; but there are doubts about their authenticity, so Offa's intervention in Kent prior to 776 may have been limited to the years 764–65. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that "the Mercians and the inhabitants of Kent fought at Otford " in 776, but does not give the outcome of the battle. It has traditionally been interpreted as
25021-469: The lands of the priory of Frindsbury as well as all lands belonging to the church. In 1348 the manor was confirmed as being in the possession of the prior of Rochester, reconfirmed in 1295. In 1287 the manor, along with its appendages of Chattenden, Strood and Rede, were taxed at £24-6-8 (£24.33). Frindsbury Clubs . In 1291, there was an altercation between the Monks of Rochester and Newark Priory in Strood as
25212-412: The later medium coinage. There is also evidence that coins were issued by Eadberht , who was Bishop of London in the 780s and possibly before. Offa's dispute with Jænberht may have led him to allow Eadberht coining rights, which may then have been revoked when the see of Lichfield was elevated to an archbishopric. The medium-weight coins often carry designs of high artistic quality, exceeding that of
25403-433: The legates, but historians are divided on this issue. Hygeberht , already Bishop of Lichfield , became the new archdiocese 's first and only archbishop, and by the end of 788 he received the pallium , a symbol of his authority, from Rome. The new archdiocese included the sees of Worcester , Hereford , Leicester , Lindsey , Dommoc and Elmham ; these were essentially the midland Anglian territories. Canterbury retained
25594-462: The light of these counterparts as the largest and most recent great construction of the preliterate inhabitants of Britain. Offa ruled as a Christian king, but despite being praised by Charlemagne 's advisor, Alcuin , for his piety and efforts to "instruct [his people] in the precepts of God", he came into conflict with Jænberht , the Archbishop of Canterbury . Jænberht had been a supporter of Ecgberht II of Kent , which may have led to conflict in
25785-437: The local authority. Buses are numbered between 100 and 199 for local services, with buses numbered in the 700s to show Kent County Council subsidised services including those to Walderslade and Bluewater Shopping Centre , and in the 600s for school bus services. King Offa Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia , a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England , from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and
25976-441: The local government district of Rochester-upon-Medway that officially held city status under the 1982 letters patent, when it was abolished, it also ceased to be a city. The other local government districts with city status that were abolished around this time ( Bath and Hereford ) appointed charter trustees to maintain the existence of the city and the mayoralty. However, Rochester-upon-Medway City Council had decided not to and as
26167-417: The lord and 11 by the villagers [ sic ]. It supported 40 villagers, 28 smallholders and 9 slaves. There was a mill taxable at 12 shillings (60p), a church, 40 acres (16 ha) of meadow and woodland for 5 pigs. It was worth £8 before the conquest, but £25 by 1086 with another 10 shillings (50p) for the Bishop. Bishop Gilbert de Glanvill claimed Frinsdsbury back from the monks "as belonging to
26358-417: The main town Strood. The manor house is a grade II listed farmhouse dating from the late 16th century. In 1753 a new front was added to the existing building in the late Georgian style. The house consists of a central 3-storey block flanked by 2-storey wings. A 20th-century porch has been added. This is also referred to as Court Lodge Farm . The building was proposed for demolition in 1958. Adjacent to
26549-429: The maintenance of his table" in 1185. According to Hasted the bishop succeeded in obtaining the church, but the manor remained in the possession of the monks until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in 1523. Barnard however records that in 1256, the church of Frindsbury (and thus the income) was returned to the Bishop. In 1279 and again in 1293, 1314 and 1357 the bishop of Rochester claimed liberties in
26740-420: The men of the southeast turned to him "because earlier they were wrongly forced away from his relatives". This is likely to be an allusion to Ealhmund, and may imply that Ealhmund had a local overlordship of the southeastern kingdoms. If so, Offa's intervention was probably intended to gain control of this relationship and take over the dominance of the associated kingdoms. The evidence for Offa's involvement in
26931-479: The mission, sent by the legates to Pope Adrian , gives details of a council held by George in Northumbria, and the canons issued there, but little detail survives of Theophylact's mission. After the northern council George returned to the south and another council was held, attended by both Offa and Jænberht, at which further canons were issued. In 787, Offa succeeded in reducing the power of Canterbury through
27122-465: The mission. Offa was a generous patron of the church, founding several churches and monasteries, often dedicated to St Peter . Among these was St Albans Abbey , which he probably founded in the early 790s. He also promised a yearly gift of 365 mancuses to Rome; a mancus was a term of account equivalent to thirty silver pennies, derived from Abbasid gold coins that were circulating in Francia at
27313-598: The most significant rulers in early medieval Britain , though no contemporary biography of him survives. A key source for the period is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , a collection of annals in Old English narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The Chronicle was a West Saxon production, however, and is sometimes thought to be biased in favour of Wessex; hence it may not accurately convey
27504-419: The name of the moneyer from whose mint the coins came. The reform in the coinage appears to have extended beyond Offa's own mints: the kings of East Anglia , Kent and Wessex all produced coins of the new heavier weight in this period. Some coins from Offa's reign bear the names of the archbishops of Canterbury, Jænberht and, after 792, Æthelheard. Jænberht's coins all belong to the light coinage, rather than
27695-755: The north. Frindsbury Extra including Upnor borders Strood. The southern part of the urban area is on the north slope of the North Downs , including the suburbs of Walderslade , Luton , Hempstead and Wigmore . Over half of the unitary authority area is rural in nature. Medway includes parts of the North Kent Marshes , an environmentally significant wetlands region with several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Other similar areas of conservation include Ranscombe Farm on chalk grassland and woodland between Strood and Cuxton, with rare woodland flowers and orchids . The Medway area has
27886-429: The only reason the papacy agreed to the creation was because of the size of the kingdom of Mercia. Both Coenwulf and Leo had their own reasons for representing the situation as they did: Coenwulf was entreating Leo to make London the sole southern archdiocese, while Leo was concerned to avoid the appearance of complicity with the unworthy motives Coenwulf imputed to Offa. These are therefore partisan comments. However, both
28077-595: The original route of Watling Street . The A2 leaves the main route (which bypasses Medway by either the Northern Relief Road — The A289 or the M2) at the Three Crutches junction. The road descends through Strood towards the river. During the descent, the road to Gravesend, the A226 joins. In Strood the High Street is bypassed by the one-way system to the north and south encircling the High Street. The A2 crosses
28268-531: The pattern was continued in the early 9th century by Cwoenthryth , the daughter of King Coenwulf . Either Offa or Ine of Wessex is traditionally supposed to have founded the Schola Saxonum in Rome, in what is today the Roman rione , or district, of Borgo . The Schola Saxonum took its name from the militias of Saxons who served in Rome, but it eventually developed into a hostelry for English visitors to
28459-443: The quarry to the east of All Saints' Church was reported. The find included over 4000 stone tools dating from 300,000 BP, including hand axes , large flint flakes, core pieces, and quartzite hammer stones. Excavations in 2021 at the site of the new Maritime Academy school produced Palaeolithic remains, including several handaxes, two of which could be classed as 'giant handaxes'. The artefacts were recovered from fluvial deposits in
28650-622: The reduction in status of his subject kings, sometimes to the rank of ealdorman . He was ultimately unsuccessful, however; Ecgfrith only survived in power for a few months, and ninth-century Mercia continued to draw its kings from multiple dynastic lines. There is evidence that Offa constructed a series of defensive burhs , or fortified towns; the locations are not generally agreed on but may include Bedford , Hereford , Northampton , Oxford and Stamford . In addition to their defensive uses, these burhs are thought to have been administrative centres, serving as regional markets and indicating
28841-479: The reign of Henry VIII , in 1567 the Royal Naval Dockyard was established in Medway. Although it is called Chatham dockyard, two-thirds of the dockyard lie within Gillingham. The dockyard was closed in 1984, with the loss of eight thousand jobs at the dockyard itself and many more in local supply industries, contributing to a mid-1980s Medway unemployment rate of sixteen per cent. It was protected by
29032-586: The reign of Æthelbald. Both Æthelbald and Offa granted land in Middlesex and London as they wished; in 767 a charter of Offa's disposed of land in Harrow without a local ruler as witness. It is likely that both London and Middlesex were quickly under Offa's control at the start of his reign. The East Saxon royal house survived the 8th century, so it is probable that the kingdom of Essex retained its native rulers, but under strong Mercian influence, for most or all of
29223-403: The rest of Kent. Wealth and poverty was thus dependent on the generosity of a handful of employers and the state of the national economy, boom and recession. As one industry abandoned the land it had despoiled, newer ones moved in and used the space, and finally this was turned over to housing. The streets bear the names of the previous elite. The first recorded windmill was on a map of 1596. It
29414-564: The school on the peninsula). There are also a number of private schools operating in the area. Medway is also home to the third largest home school population of children in the UK after the Isles of Scilly and Isle of Wight. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Medway at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of pounds Sterling. Medway's cultural strategy
29605-438: The sees in the south and southeast. The few accounts of the creation of the new archbishopric date from after the end of Offa's reign. Two versions of the events appear in the form of an exchange of letters between Coenwulf , who became king of Mercia shortly after Offa's death, and Pope Leo III , in 798. Coenwulf asserts in his letter that Offa wanted the new archdiocese created out of enmity for Jænberht; but Leo responds that
29796-452: The site "Crown and Quarry Works". The works had limited raw materials, and its capacity was reduced to around half its peak size, before finally shutting down in 1963, after most of the chalk on the Frindsbury peninsula had been used up. The Formby Works (established 1862) was at Whitewall Creek and did not join the APCM. This produced initially 60 tons a week, and eventually 500 tons a week. As
29987-456: The size of Offa's territory and his relationship with Jænberht and Kent are indeed likely to have been factors in Offa's request for the creation of the new archdiocese. Coenwulf's version has independent support, with a letter from Alcuin to Archbishop Æthelheard giving his opinion that Canterbury's archdiocese had been divided "not, as it seems, by reasonable consideration, but by a certain desire for power". Æthelheard himself later said that
30178-403: The structure shows little sign of decay and replacement, the rafters above the aisles of bays 7 and 11 are of machine-sawn softwood. In same bays, and also the lost bay 3, the medieval footings are also absent. Austin argues that this suggests the location of tall entrances (midstreys) at these points. Much of the barn's original footings have been replaced. The original footings are present in
30369-531: The thirty-first year of his reign. The conflict over the succession suggests that Offa needed to re-establish control over Mercia's traditional dependencies, such as the Hwicce and the Magonsæte . Charters dating from the first two years of Offa's reign show the Hwiccan kings as reguli , or kinglets, under his authority; and it is likely that he was also quick to gain control over the Magonsæte, for whom there
30560-422: The threat of "the pagan seaman". Offa issued laws in his name, but no details of them have survived. They are known only from a mention by Alfred the Great , in the preface to Alfred's own law code. Alfred says that he has included in his code those laws of Offa, Ine of Wessex and Æthelberht of Kent which he found "most just". The laws may have been an independent lawcode, but it is also possible that Alfred
30751-540: The three towns should go forward as equal partners. On 9 March, the committee held its last meeting, with the Chatham representatives voting to dissolve the body and those from Rochester voting against. The motion to disband was passed on the casting vote of the chairman, Alderman Semple from Chatham. Under the Local Government Act 1972 , on 1 April 1974 the City of Rochester, the Borough of Chatham and part of Strood Rural District were amalgamated to form
30942-514: The throne in 796. Nothing definite is known about their use, but they may have been struck to be used as alms. Although many of the coins bear the name of a moneyer, there is no indication of the mint where each coin was struck. As a result, the number and location of mints used by Offa is uncertain. Current opinion is that there were four mints, in Canterbury , Rochester , East Anglia and London. The title Offa used on most of his charters
31133-453: The time. Control of religious houses was one way in which a ruler of the day could provide for his family, and to this end Offa ensured (by acquiring papal privileges) that many of them would remain the property of his wife or children after his death. This policy of treating religious houses as worldly possessions represents a change from the early 8th century, when many charters showed the foundation and endowment of small minsters, rather than
31324-684: The town's bus station; remodelling of Strood's one-way system; and the provision of new cycle lanes and park-and-ride services throughout the area. Chatham's ring road system was subsequently changed into a two-way system in September 2006 with the Sir John Hawkins flyover (pictured right in 2007) being closed before later demolition to make way for a new bus station at the end of 2008. The new bus station opened in October 2011. Other recent and proposed developments include: In Rochester,
31515-502: The two kings produced the first surviving documents in English diplomatic history. The letter is primarily concerned with the status of English pilgrims on the continent and with diplomatic gifts, but it reveals much about the relations between the English and the Franks . Charlemagne refers to Offa as his "brother", and mentions trade in black stones, sent from the continent to England, and cloaks (or possibly cloths), traded from England to
31706-447: The unidentified Gaini are examples of such power-bases. Marriage alliances could also have played a part. Competing magnates, those called in charters "dux" or "princeps" (that is, leaders), may have brought the kings to power. In this model, the Mercian kings are little more than leading noblemen. Offa seems to have attempted to increase the stability of Mercian kingship, both by the elimination of dynastic rivals to his son Ecgfrith, and
31897-539: The wards, whereby an elector loses or gains the right to vote in a parish election. Medway Council is a unitary authority established in 1998. Frindsbury is split in two local government level wards: Strood North and Strood Rural, each represented by three councillors from the Conservative Party (as of February 2019). William Hogarth with Samuel Scott visited Rochester in May 1732. Ebenezer Forest wrote
32088-423: The witness list as king of Kent. Another king of Kent, Ecgberht , appears on a charter in 765 along with Heahberht; the charter was subsequently confirmed by Offa. Offa's influence in Kent at this time is clear, and it has been suggested that Heahberht was installed by Offa as his client. There is less agreement among historians on whether Offa had general overlordship of Kent thereafter. He is known to have revoked
32279-412: The world at large with so ... acute a political sense". Many historians regard Offa's achievements as second only to Alfred the Great among the Anglo-Saxon kings. Offa's reign has sometimes been regarded as a key stage in the transition to a unified England, but this is no longer the general view among historians in the field. In the words of Simon Keynes , "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not
32470-449: Was "rex Merciorium", or "king of the Mercians", though this was occasionally extended to "king of the Mercians and surrounding nations". Some of his charters use the title "Rex Anglorum," or "King of the English," and this has been seen as a sweeping statement of his power. There is debate on this point, however, as several of the charters in which Offa is named "Rex Anglorum" are of doubtful authenticity. They may represent later forgeries of
32661-469: Was 65.6 metres (215 ft) by 10.6 metres (35 ft). The barn is notable for the quality of its construction: "the undoubted queen of the Kentish barns", "Its carpentry is peerless" (both quotes from to Rigold (1966 , p. 10)) or Austin's view "exemplary and executed to a high standard". The footings are of mortared flint and stone rising to 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) at the northern end of
32852-718: Was a Roman Villa at Frindsbury to produce food to supply the garrison at Durobrivæ , modern Rochester, Kent . The foundations of the road leading from this villa to the bridge were discovered in 1819 at the canal dock. Further excavation by Tingey in 1888 produced several artefacts , including a bronze statue of Cupid 5.25" high. Bishop Eardulf of Rochester obtained Freandisbery and Wicham in 747. Notwithstanding this in 764, King Offa of Mercia (as overlord) and Sigered (the petty king of this part of Kent) granted 20 sulungs of land at Aeslingham in Freodesbrei to Bishop Eardulf of Rochester. In 778, King Egbert gave more land to
33043-443: Was a black smock mill. It was demolished in 1931. Close by in Strood on Broom Hill were two more mills, Field Mill and Killick's Mill. The moulding sand from below Upnor parish church was used to make metal castings. It was of such a high quality that it was exported. In 1847, there were 6 brickfields in Frindsbury. Three were at Manor Farm, two were at Whitewall Creek and one at Ten Gun Field Upnor. Top soil would be removed,
33234-537: Was a parsonage in Bill Street, and by 1591 it was occupied by the Watson Family. It was demolished at an unknown date post 1930. This was a significant rural community of which there are few remains. The pub was first built in the late 17th century as a house. By 1754 it was in use as a public house. It was under threat of demolition for redevelopment. On 24 May 2016 the building was listed Grade II, and
33425-401: Was a sheet of chalk covered by brickearth covered with topsoil. Over the last two millennia, much of this was stripped away, or mined, so the contours have constantly changed. Through the centre of this ran a shallow valley carrying a stream draining the Hoo Peninsula behind, through Islingham to Whitewall creek where it entered the Medway. This water flow formed a river meander upstream and
33616-602: Was abolished in 1974. Eleven of the 16 Strood Rural parishes, joined Rochester City Council and Chatham Borough Council to become the Rochester-upon-Medway Borough Council which in 1978 became Rochester-upon-Medway City Council. The eleven parishes remained parished i.e. have an elected parish council, while former Rochester wards were not. This distinction means that the Electoral Commission will not allow any boundary change to
33807-418: Was built on the hill. There was a chapel of ease at Strood (St Nicholas'), where Watling Street left the firm ground to run over the marshes to the Medway bridge. Strood was promoted to a full parish in 1193 by Gilbert Glanvill , Bishop of Rochester . The remains of a large elephant skeleton ( palaeoloxodon antiquus ) were excavated in 1911 at Upnor . In 1925, evidence of a palaeolithic flint works in
33998-529: Was called the Quarry Mill, was 100 yds southeast of the church and was destroyed in 1850. It was a post mill . The next four Frindsbury mills were all owned by Mr Kimmins (c1845 et seq.). On Prospect Hill there were two mills. The first was called Manwaring's Mill, or Little Mill. It was a black tarred smock mill that drove four pairs of millstones . Next to it was the Great Mill or Rose's Mill. It
34189-502: Was commandeered for war service and became HMS Princess Irene , and was used as a minelayer . After several trips she was back in the Medway for a refit when on the morning of 27 May 1915 a huge internal explosion tore through the vessel, shaking the ground for miles around and showering the surrounding villages with remains of bodies and debris. A total of 278 died, including 78 workers from nearby towns and villages. In one Sheerness street there were ten who died. A Court of Inquiry
34380-468: Was held into the loss and evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion. The British Army also established barracks here; and the Royal Engineers headquarters is in Gillingham. The Royal Marines also have a long association with Chatham . The Chatham Division was based in Chatham until
34571-572: Was introduced at all mints. None of Jænberht's or Cynethryth's coins occur in this coinage, whereas all of Æthelheard's coins are of the new, heavier weight. There are also surviving gold coins from Offa's reign. One is a copy of an Abbasid dinar struck in 774 by Caliph Al-Mansur , with "Offa Rex" centred on the reverse. It is clear that the moneyer had no understanding of Arabic as the Arabic text contains many errors. The coin may have been produced to trade with Islamic Spain ; or it may be part of
34762-713: Was no doubt connected with her father's overlordship. If Offa did not gain the advantage in Wessex until defeating Cynewulf in 779, it may be that his successes south of the river were a necessary prerequisite to his interventions in the south-east. In this view, Egbert of Kent's death in about 784 and Cynewulf's death in 786 were the events that allowed Offa to gain control of Kent and bring Beorhtric into his sphere of influence. This version of events also assumes that Offa did not have control of Kent after 764–65, as some historians believe. Offa's marital alliances extended to Northumbria when his daughter Ælfflæd married Æthelred I of Northumbria at Catterick in 792. However, there
34953-411: Was outside the borders of the City of Rochester hence the name Frindsbury Extra . The other half was within the city so was referred to as Frindsbury Intra, a name that has long disappeared, being called Frindsbury. This distinction is significant, Frindsbury was a ward in the City of Rochester, and in the City of Rochester-upon-Medway. Frindsbury Extra was a ward of Strood Rural District Council which
35144-418: Was part of Frindsbury. The impenetrable nature and the steepness of the topography here influenced the route of the railways. The word Frindsbury comes from Old English , freondesburh , meaning a stronghold held by a friend or ally. Recorded documented names of the parish include Freondesbrei (764), Freondesberia (c975), Frandesberie (1086), Fryndesbury (1610). The main parish church , All Saints,
35335-459: Was probably built in his reign, is a testimony to the extensive resources Offa had at his command and his ability to organise them. Other surviving sources include a problematic document known as the Tribal Hidage , which may provide further evidence of Offa's scope as a ruler, though its attribution to his reign is disputed. A significant corpus of letters dates from the period, especially from Alcuin , an English deacon and scholar who spent over
35526-513: Was responsible for commencing the rebuilding of Rochester Cathedral and establishing the Benedictine Priory of St Andrew based upon it. He gave the land at Fridsbury to the new priory though insisting they paid an 'exenium' to him or his successors on St Andrew's Day . The Domesday Book of 1086 records Frindsbury as in the Lathe of Aylesford , in the Hundred of Shamwell. It had been taxed at 10 sulungs before 1066 and then at 7 in 1086. There were 15 carucates of arable land, 5 held by
35717-412: Was the abbess who was a kinswoman of King Ealdred of the Hwicce , but there are other prominent women named Æthelburh during that period. Æthelbald, who had ruled Mercia since 716, was assassinated in 757. According to a later continuation of Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica (written anonymously after Bede's death) the king was "treacherously murdered at night by his own bodyguards", though the reason why
35908-512: Was the first papal mission to England since Augustine had been sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 to convert the Anglo-Saxons. The legates were Bishop George of Ostia , and Theophylact, the bishop of Todi . They visited Canterbury first, and then were received by Offa at his court. Both Offa and Cynewulf , king of the West Saxons, attended a council where the goals of the mission were discussed. George then went to Northumbria, while Theophylact visited Mercia and "parts of Britain". A report on
36099-426: Was the highest in Kent with forty foot by nine-foot sails. Together the two mills produced 400 sacks of flour a week. Little Mill was struck by lightning and demolished in 1886. Great Mill was demolished in 1890. Kimmin's Mill (1819–1843), was a smock mill with no base. The land became a brick field. A man was killed by its sails. House Mill, also known as Kimmin's Mill or Frindsbury Mill, stood on Frindsbury Hill and
36290-444: Was the rival, not the overlord, of Kentish kings". Mercian control lasted until 796, the year of Offa's death, when Eadberht Præn was temporarily successful in regaining Kentish independence. Ealhmund was probably the father of Egbert of Wessex , and it is possible that Offa's interventions in Kent in the mid-780s are connected to the subsequent exile of Egbert to Francia. The Chronicle claims that when Egbert invaded Kent in 825,
36481-438: Was vital, as the pipes actually supply the Hoo Peninsula and the power station at Grain. The largest water main that was moved was 24 inches (610 mm) in diameter and the largest gas main 36 inches (914 mm). The road cost £19 million and is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) long. The A229 starts from the A2 at the junction at the top of Star Hill alongside Jackson's Field / Fort Pitt, it follows City Way to
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