148-643: Ashford is a town in the Ashford district, in the county of Kent , England. It lies on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of the North Downs , about 61 miles (98 km) by road southeast of central London and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Folkestone by road. At the 2021 census , it had a population of 83,213. The name comes from the Old English æscet , indicating
296-506: A ford near a clump of ash trees . It has been a market town since the Middle Ages , and a regular market continues to be held. St Mary's Parish Church has been a local landmark since the 13th century, and expanded in the 15th. Today, the church functions in a dual role as a centre for worship and entertainment. The arrival of the railways from the mid 19th century onwards, created a significant source of employment contributing to
444-527: A 14.6% rise to 118,000 inhabitants. Ashford has been targeted as a key area for population development since the 1960s. In 1959, the London County Council negotiated 5000 new homes to be built in Ashford as overspill from London, which created most of what is now South Ashford and Kennington. The Buchanan Report, published in 1967, identified Ashford as a major town for growth. In 2001, Ashford
592-560: A 30-acre site that could have a hospital built on a budget of £7–8 million. Work started on building the hospital in 1973 and it was commissioned in 1977, opening in 1979. In the 17th century, a free grammar school was founded here; it was built on the churchyard's west side, and remained there until 1846, now used as a museum. The church has been Grade I listed since 1951. A Mk. IV tank built in Lincoln and used in World War I
740-622: A 58-room Travelodge hotel) began in May 2017 and was opened in December 2018. Borough of Ashford The Borough of Ashford is a local government district with borough status in Kent , England. It is named after its largest town, Ashford , where the council is based. The borough also includes the town of Tenterden and an extensive surrounding rural area including numerous villages; with an area of 580 square kilometres (220 sq mi), it
888-525: A by-election in October 2024, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. Since the last full review of boundaries in 2019 the council has comprised 47 councillors representing 39 wards , with each ward electing one or two councillors. Elections are held every four years. The council is based at the Civic Centre on Tannery Lane in Ashford, which was purpose-built for
1036-712: A centre for rail engineering in the 19th century, and is now primarily light industrial and commercial, with the notable exception of Hitachi's rail depot. The borough's local plan ("Local Plan to 2030") continues to plan for new housing in and around the town, such as the development at Finberry . From the historic town centre, roads radiate out in the following directions: NW to Charing and Maidstone and SE to Hythe and Folkestone (A20/M20 in each direction); south to Hamstreet , Lydd and Romney Marsh and then westwards to Hastings ( A2070 ); SW to Tenterden and NE to Wye and Canterbury ( A28 ) and finally north to Ashford's historic port at Faversham ( A251 ). The area
1184-487: A cluster of medieval half-timbered buildings in Middle Row and around the churchyard in the town centre. A number of old buildings were removed to make way for the controversial ring road around the centre, including four public houses. Further demolition was required to build Charter House, an eight-story office building for Charter Consolidated, that opened in 1975. Charter subsequently moved back to London in 1985, and
1332-587: A coup d'état and expelled the Poitevins from England, reforming the royal government through a process called the Provisions of Oxford . Henry and the baronial government enacted a peace with France in 1259, under which Henry gave up his rights to his other lands in France in return for King Louis IX recognising him as the rightful ruler of Gascony. The baronial regime collapsed, but Henry was unable to reform
1480-410: A few miles west of the town centre. Later evidence from examining waste suggests that production was on a large scale. The Kent Archaeological society have discovered sandy ware at this location dating from around 1125 – 1250. Jack Cade , who led a rebellion against corrupt Royal officials in 1450, may have had links to Ashford. In William Shakespeare 's Henry VI, Part 2 , Cade converses with "Dick,
1628-656: A fierce temper, but mostly, as historian David Carpenter describes, he had an "amiable, easy-going, and sympathetic" personality. He was unaffected and honest, and showed his emotions readily, easily being moved to tears by religious sermons. At the start of the 13th century, the Kingdom of England formed part of the Angevin Empire spreading across Western Europe . Henry was named after his grandfather Henry II , who had built up this vast network of lands stretching from Scotland and Wales , through England , across
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#17328024666291776-499: A former justiciar. The three were appointed by a great council of the nobility at Oxford , and their government came to depend on these councils for authority. Hubert and des Roches were political rivals, with Hubert supported by a network of English barons, and des Roches backed by nobles from the royal territories in Poitou and Touraine . Hubert moved decisively against des Roches in 1221, accusing him of treason and removing him as
1924-529: A head in 1224 with the siege of Bedford Castle , which Henry and Hubert besieged for eight weeks; when it finally fell, almost the entire garrison was executed and the castle was slighted . Meanwhile, Louis VIII of France allied himself with Hugh de Lusignan and invaded Poitou and Gascony. Henry's army in Poitou was poorly supplied and lacked support from the Poitevin barons, many of whom felt abandoned during
2072-469: A local health unit were cancelled in 2012. The main building was threatened with demolition, but saved in 2015, with plans to turn it into accommodation. The main hospital in Ashford is William Harvey Hospital , in nearby Willesborough . It is named after William Harvey , the doctor who discovered the blood circulatory system . The hospital was built because the government decided the old hospital would be too small for demand as Ashford grew, and looked for
2220-519: A major threat in Wales and along the Welsh Marches . Despite his success in winning the war, William had far less favourable results when attempting to restore royal power following the peace. This was in part because he was unable to offer significant patronage, despite the expectations from the loyalist barons that they would be rewarded. William attempted to enforce the traditional rights of
2368-668: A means to acquire lands of lesser landholders, through payment defaults. Henry had built the Domus Conversorum in London in 1232 in an attempt to convert Jews to Christianity, and efforts intensified after 1239. As many as 10 per cent of the Jews in England had been converted by the late 1250s in large part due to their deteriorating economic conditions. Many anti-Jewish stories involving tales of child sacrifice circulated in
2516-742: A new food piazza. Part of this expansion was the installation of Europe's largest living wall, comprising more than 120,000 plants. The expansion was formally opened in November 2019. A Waitrose store opened in November 2009 on the former Templar Barracks site, followed by a John Lewis store in November 2013. The Debenhams store closed in January 2020, while the John Lewis store closed in March 2021. In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched AshfordFor, an inward investment campaign, which has helped support
2664-430: A new £25m college campus. The extension of Victoria Road has created new development space in Ashford, though plans to build a Morrisons supermarket here were scrapped in May 2014. In 2012, Ashford Borough Council predicted there would be a net gain of 620 jobs per year. The increase in the town's commercial importance, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industry, business and retail parks in
2812-471: A presence in Ashford in 1910. During World War I , Ashford's importance as a transport hub and its location between the continent and London made it a target for aerial bombing . A bomb, dropped from a Gotha bomber on 25 March 1917, intended for the railway works killed a young woman. She was the first of ninety-six casualties of the raid which included sixty-one killed in Folkestone by a single bomb. In
2960-434: A printing services company, was founded in 1881 and by the mid-1950s printed and exported over 2 million books. The business closed in 2017 and the factory was demolished two years later. The Letraset company set up an arts material factory in Ashford in the 1960s. It closed in 2013, following the decline of Letraset and the company's decision to relocate works abroad. Little is left of the old Ashford town centre, apart from
3108-461: A series of defections from the rebel movement, and the tide of the conflict swung in Henry's favour. Louis returned at the end of April and reinvigorated his campaign, splitting his forces into two groups, sending one north to besiege Lincoln Castle and keeping one in the south to capture Dover Castle . When he learnt that Louis had divided his army, William Marshal gambled on defeating the rebels in
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#17328024666293256-413: A shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Ashford. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 1999 have been: Following the 2023 election , subsequent changes of allegiance and
3404-500: A single battle. William marched north and attacked Lincoln on 20 May 1217; entering through a side gate, he took the city in a sequence of fierce street battles and sacked the buildings. Large numbers of senior rebels were captured, and historian David Carpenter considers the battle to be "one of the most decisive in English history". In the aftermath of Lincoln, the loyalist campaign stalled and only recommenced in late June when
3552-411: A small force of soldiers to assist his vassal, and Brittany fell to Louis in November. And after the dismissal of des Roches, for the next 24 years, Henry ruled the kingdom personally, rather than through senior ministers. Royal government in England had traditionally centred on several great offices of state, filled by powerful, independent members of the baronage. Henry abandoned this policy, leaving
3700-470: A stable government, and instability across England continued. In 1263, one of the more radical barons, Simon de Montfort , seized power, resulting in the Second Barons' War . Henry persuaded Louis to support his cause and mobilised an army. The Battle of Lewes was fought in 1264 when Henry was defeated and taken prisoner. Henry's eldest son, Edward , escaped from captivity to defeat de Montfort at
3848-519: A targets of 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs in the area. In 2005 a Channel 4 poll ranked Ashford the fourth-best place to live in the United Kingdom. However, the formation of the coalition government in 2010 saw regional planning targets scrapped, along with growth area status. Ashford has continued to develop, with new homes planned for urban areas such as Repton Park, Park Farm, Singleton and Chilmington, and planning permission granted for
3996-486: A time where travel between the two countries was rare. He was declared an honorary citizen of Bad Münstereifel in 1961, which led to the two towns being formally twinned in 1964. Bad Münstereifel was twinned with the French town of Fougères , Brittany two years later, which led to a twinning with Ashford in 1984. During the early and mid-20th century, print and media became a noted industry in Ashford. The Headley Brothers,
4144-402: Is Lake House at Eastwell Park to the north of the town, which contains the grave of Richard Plantagenet . Ashford's importance as an agricultural and market town grew in the 13th century, and in 1243, King Henry III granted the town a charter to hold a market for livestock. The pottery industry expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, with the main works based at what is now Potter's Corner,
4292-481: Is being redeveloped into Ashford International Studios , a combined cinema studios, hotel and residential apartments. It is expected to open in 2025. The motto of Ashford Borough Council is "With stronger faith", taken from To Lucasta, Going to the Warres , a poem by the 17th-century poet Richard Lovelace who came from the borough. The relevant verse is : True, a new mistress now I chase, The first foe in
4440-611: Is now owned by Premier Foods . Proprietary Perfumes Ltd (PPL), a division of Unilever opened a fragrance and flavour factory and research laboratory next door to the Batchelors factory in 1962. It was subsequently renamed as Quest International and purchased by Givaudan in 2007. The wholesale frozen food firm Brake Brothers was established in 1957. Initially based at nearby Lenham , it later moved to Ashford and expanded. The current European headquarters are in Eureka Park to
4588-476: Is served by the regional news programmes: Radio stations that broadcast to the area are: There are more than 400 listed buildings in the district. This includes 33 churches listed in the highest grading in the national listing system (Grade I) as well as many oast houses and pubs dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, along with some even earlier buildings such as the Black Horse at Pluckley built in
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4736-616: Is the Ashford Designer Outlet designed by Richard Rogers , which attracts around 3 million customers a year. The centre has won industry awards for Retail Destination of the Year and Best Shopping Venue and has been praised by the British Parking Association for its range of facilities, cleanliness and lack of crime. From 2018 the centre underwent a 100,000 sq. ft expansion, including 40 new stores and
4884-689: Is the largest district in Kent. Parts of the borough lie within the designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty of High Weald and the Kent Downs . The neighbouring districts are (clockwise from west) Tunbridge Wells , Maidstone , Swale , Canterbury , Folkestone and Hythe , and Rother . The latter is in East Sussex , the rest are in Kent. The parish of Ashford was made a local government district in 1863, run by an elected local board. Such districts were converted into urban districts under
5032-544: The A20 ). Ashford has been marked out for growth in several Government plans from the 1960s onwards. In the 1970s, the construction of a controversial four lane ring road together with the multi-storey Charter House building led to the destruction of significant parts of the old town although some areas were spared and preserved. Other changes in the last 40 years include the construction of the County Square shopping centre,
5180-610: The Archbishop of Canterbury , was stationed at Ashford during the war while Prince Andrew attended a course here in 1982 while he was stationed in the Royal Navy . The barracks closed in 1997 to build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and the site was sold to developers in 2002, Repton Manor House, in the centre of the barracks, is a Grade II listed building and remains intact. Ashford has been associated with
5328-591: The Battle of Evesham the following year and freed his father. Henry initially exacted a harsh revenge on the remaining rebels but was persuaded by the Church to mollify his policies through the Dictum of Kenilworth . Reconstruction was slow, and Henry had to acquiesce to several measures, including further suppression of the Jews, to maintain baronial and popular support. Henry died in 1272, leaving Edward as his successor. He
5476-487: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link . It is still used by around 5,000 farmers. The Army first established a presence in Ashford in 1797 when it built a garrison on Barrow Hill, and storerooms along what is now Magazine Road. The military presence was scaled back during the 19th century, though the town was still considered strategically important in the event of an invasion. The Territorial Army established
5624-536: The English Channel to the territories of Normandy , Brittany , Maine , and Anjou in north-west France, and on to Poitou and Gascony in the south-west. For many years the French Crown was relatively weak, enabling first Henry II, and then his sons Richard I and John, to dominate France. In 1204, John lost Normandy, Brittany, Maine, and Anjou to Philip II of France , leaving English power on
5772-517: The English Church and the Papacy backed Henry. John's death had defused some of the rebel concerns, and the royal castles were still holding out in the occupied parts of the country. In a bid to take advantage of this, Henry encouraged the rebel barons to come back to his cause in exchange for the return of their lands, and reissued a version of Magna Carta, albeit having first removed some of
5920-495: The Fourth Lateran Council in 1215; William Marshal continued with his policy despite complaints from the Church. In 1239 Henry introduced different policies, possibly trying to imitate those of Louis of France: Jewish leaders across England were imprisoned and forced to pay fines equivalent to a third of their goods, and any outstanding loans were to be released. Further huge demands for cash followed – £40,000
6068-541: The Holy Roman Empire and Sicily , and Henry sponsored the same writers as the other European rulers. Henry travelled less than previous kings, seeking a tranquil, more sedate life and staying at each of his palaces for prolonged periods before moving on. Possibly as a result, he focused more attention on his palaces and houses; Henry was, according to architectural historian John Goodall , "the most obsessive patron of art and architecture ever to have occupied
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6216-594: The Kent Downs AONB , whilst the south-west, including Rolvenden and the Isle of Oxney , is part of the High Weald AONB . In addition to these national landscape areas, the borough has many smaller Local Nature Reserves such as Hothfield Common . As of April 2023 there were 44 civil parishes within the borough. The parish council for Tenterden has declared that parish to be a town, allowing it to take
6364-569: The Levant but was prevented from doing so by rebellions in Gascony . By 1258, Henry's rule was increasingly unpopular, the result of the failure of his expensive foreign policies and the notoriety of his Poitevin half-brothers, the Lusignans , as well as the role of his local officials in collecting taxes and debts. A coalition of his barons, initially probably backed by Eleanor, seized power in
6512-600: The Local Government Act 1894 . The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named Ashford after its largest town. The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. Ashford Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Kent County Council . Much of
6660-510: The Weald is formed. The original town of Ashford, like many other settlements, has outgrown its original size and has combined with smaller villages in a conurbation . Clockwise these villages include Bockhanger , Kennington , Willesborough , Sevington , Singleton and Great Chart . In addition, housing estates have been built in the open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton , Kingsnorth , Park Farm and Stanhope . In 1727, an underground fire
6808-508: The 1230s–50s, including the account of " Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln " in 1255. The event is considered particularly significant, as the first such accusation endorsed by the Crown. Henry intervened to order the execution of Copin, who had confessed to the murder in return for his life, and removed 91 Jews to the Tower of London. 18 were executed, and their property expropriated by the Crown. At
6956-513: The 1470s as a dry-moated farmhouse by the Dering family (see also: Little Chart ). Well-known examples of Grade I listed buildings include: the Archbishop's palace at Charing , Chilham Castle and Godinton House , as well as more domestic examples such as the row of 17th century Flemish weavers' cottages which stretches the full length of the south side of Biddenden High Street . See also
7104-700: The 1960s onwards Ashford has experienced phases of rapid urban growth, creating new suburbs such as Stanhope and, more recently, Singleton . Today's urban growth is partially shaped by the de facto corridors created by the M20 motorway , the High Speed 1 line and several other rail lines which converge on the town's railway station . The 2011 census reported Ashford as having: The area's economy, once strongly dominated by agriculture and associated activities such as brewing and food production as well as some quarrying of ragstone and brick manufacture, evolved into
7252-616: The Big 8 projects to be fully completed was a new campus for Ashford College , moving from Jemmett Road. The building works on the Elwick Road site cost £16 million, and was completed in 2017. A leisure complex, Elwick Place, opened in 2018 with a Picturehouse cinema. The Designer Outlet was redeveloped in a £90 million expansion project. An expansion of the Jasmin Vardimon Company is also planned. The former railway works
7400-454: The Butcher from Ashford". In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ashford became known for nonconformism . A local resident, John Brown, was executed for heresy in 1517, and may have inspired the later namesake of the song " John Brown's Body ". Thomas Smythe acquired the manor of Ashford as dowry from Queen Elizabeth I in the mid-16th century, and is buried in the parish church. John Wallis ,
7548-400: The Church . Following the revolt, Henry ruled England personally, rather than governing through senior ministers. He travelled less than previous monarchs, investing heavily in a handful of his favourite palaces and castles . He married Eleanor of Provence , with whom he had five children. Henry was known for his piety , holding lavish religious ceremonies and giving generously to charities;
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#17328024666297696-509: The Confessor's feasts and may have washed the feet of lepers . Henry regularly went on pilgrimages , particularly to the abbeys of Bromholm , St Albans and Walsingham Priory , although he appears to have sometimes used pilgrimages as an excuse to avoid dealing with pressing political problems. Henry shared many of his religious views with Louis of France, and the two men appear to have been slightly competitive in their piety. Towards
7844-534: The Confessor, but the overvalued currency attracted complaints from the City of London and was ultimately abandoned. Henry was known for his public demonstrations of piety and appears to have been genuinely devout. He promoted rich, luxurious Church services, and, unusually for the period, attended mass at least once a day. He gave generously to religious causes, paid for the feeding of 500 paupers each day, and helped orphans. He fasted before commemorating Edward
7992-469: The Crown from taking extrajudicial action against the barons, including the fines and expropriations that had been common under John. The charters did not address the sensitive issues of the appointment of royal advisers and the distribution of patronage, and they lacked any means of enforcement if the King chose to ignore them. Henry's rule became lax and careless, resulting in a reduction in royal authority in
8140-635: The Crown to approve marriages and wardships, but with little success. Nonetheless, he was able to reconstitute the royal bench of judges and reopen the royal exchequer . The government issued the Charter of the Forest , which attempted to reform the governance of the royal forest . The regency and Llywelyn came to an agreement on the Treaty of Worcester in 1218, but its generous terms–which saw Llywelyn effectively become Henry's justiciar across Wales–underlined
8288-456: The French Crown had enjoyed a considerable, although not overwhelming, advantage in resources, but since then, the balance had shifted further, with the annual income of the French kings almost doubling between 1204 and 1221. Louis VIII died in 1226, leaving his 12-year-old son, Louis IX , to inherit the throne, supported by a regency government. The young French king was in a far weaker position than his father and faced opposition from many of
8436-455: The French and captured their flagship, commanded by Eustace the Monk , who was promptly executed. When the news reached Louis, he entered into renewed peace negotiations. Henry and Louis, together with Henry's mother, Cardinal Guala and William Marshal, came to an agreement on the final Treaty of Lambeth on 12 and 13 September 1217. The treaty was similar to the first peace offer but excluded
8584-526: The French nobility who still maintained ties with England, leading to a sequence of revolts across the country. Against this background, in late 1228 a group of potential Norman and Angevin rebels called upon Henry to invade and reclaim his inheritance, and Peter I, Duke of Brittany , openly revolted against Louis and gave homage to Henry. Henry's preparations for an invasion progressed slowly, and when he finally arrived in Brittany with an army in May 1230,
8732-605: The German town Bad Münstereifel since the 20th century. British forces occupied the town in 1919 under the command of Major J Goode, following the end of the war. Goode subsequently formed close friendships with some Bad Münstereifel residents. John Wiles, Major Goode's brother in law, later became mayor of New Romney in 1946, and subsequently arranged a visit to the Rhineland with Winston Churchill . Wiles arranged several other exchange visits between British and German families, at
8880-602: The Holy Roman Empire. During Henry's reign, the Papacy developed a strong, central bureaucracy, supported by benefices granted to absent churchmen working in Rome. Tensions grew between this practice and the needs of local parishioners, exemplified by the dispute between Robert Grosseteste , the bishop of Lincoln , and the Papacy in 1250. Although the Scottish Church became more independent of England during
9028-523: The Kent Coast. The market was held in the High Street until 1856, when local farmers and businessmen relocated to Elwick Road and formed a market company that is the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales. There is still a regular street market in the town, but the market company relocated outside Ashford town centre after part of the 19th-century site was demolished to make way for
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#17328024666299176-565: The King actually implemented the statute. By 1258, Henry's Jewish policies were regarded as confused and were increasingly unpopular amongst the barons. Taken together, Henry's policies up to 1258 of excessive Jewish taxation, anti-Jewish legislation, and propaganda caused a very important and negative change to the status and security of Jews in England. Henry investigated a range of potential marriage partners in his youth, but they all proved unsuitable for reasons of European and domestic politics. In 1236 he finally married Eleanor of Provence ,
9324-454: The King declared that the charters were issued of his own "spontaneous and free will" and confirmed them with the royal seal, giving the new Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest of 1225 far more authority than their previous iterations. The barons assumed that the King would act in accordance with these definitive charters, as he would be subject to the law and his decisions moderated by
9472-549: The King was particularly devoted to the figure of Edward the Confessor , whom he adopted as his patron saint . He extracted huge sums of money from the Jews in England , ultimately crippling their ability to do business, and as attitudes towards the Jews hardened, he introduced the Statute of Jewry , attempting to segregate the community. In a fresh attempt to reclaim his family's lands in France, he invaded Poitou in 1242, leading to
9620-433: The King's friends. Henry believed that kings should rule England in a dignified manner, surrounded by ceremony and ecclesiastical ritual. He thought that his predecessors had allowed the status of the Crown to decline, and sought to correct this during his reign. The events of the civil war in Henry's youth deeply affected him, and he adopted Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor as his patron saint , hoping to emulate
9768-416: The King's guardian; the Bishop left England for the crusades. Pandulf was recalled by Rome the same year, leaving Hubert as the dominant force in Henry's government. Initially, the new government had little success, but in 1220, the fortunes of Henry's government began to improve. The Pope allowed Henry to be crowned for a second time, using a new set of regalia. The fresh coronation was intended to affirm
9916-445: The Pope, and in the 1250s Henry's crusading tithes faced similar resistance. The Jews in England were considered the property of the Crown, and they had traditionally been used as a source of cheap loans and easy taxation , in exchange for royal protection against antisemitism . The Jews had suffered considerable oppression during the First Barons' War, but during Henry's early years the community had flourished and became one of
10064-660: The Sainte-Chapelle. Henry was particularly supportive of the mendicant orders ; his confessors were drawn from the Dominican friars , and he built mendicant houses in Canterbury , Norwich , Oxford , Reading , and York , helping to find valuable space for new buildings in what were already crowded towns and cities. He supported the military crusading orders and became a patron of the Teutonic Order in 1235. The emerging universities of Oxford and Cambridge also received royal attention: Henry reinforced and regulated their powers, and encouraged scholars to migrate from Paris to teach at them. A rival institution at Northampton
10212-432: The Stour, particularly south of the station, is prone to flooding, which means it has been generally uninhabited. Recent development has been possible by putting foundations on concrete stilts. The nearest official Met Office station is located in Faversham , which is 12 miles (19 km) north of the town. The 2011 census revealed that the borough of Ashford saw the largest population growth in Kent, with records showing
10360-457: The advice of the nobility. Henry assumed formal control of his government in January 1227, although some contemporaries argued that he was legally still a minor until his 21st birthday the following year. The King richly rewarded Hubert de Burgh for his service during his minority years, making him the Earl of Kent and giving him extensive lands across England and Wales. Despite coming of age, Henry remained deeply influenced by his advisers for
10508-526: The area, the Finberry estate began construction in 2013. It is a 168-hectare (420-acre) site to the southeast of the town centre, which opened various houses, workspaces and shops in a series of phases through the remainder of the decade. It is planned to cater for 1,180 homes. The development also includes plans for a pub and shops. A large factor in Ashford's recent redevelopment has been Ashford Borough Council's 'Big 8' strategy. This centred on eight major projects designed to add cultural and economic value to
10656-412: The authority of the King; Henry promised to restore the powers of the Crown, and the barons swore that they would give back the royal castles and pay their debts to the Crown, on the threat of excommunication. Hubert, accompanied by Henry, moved into Wales to suppress Llywelyn in 1223, and in England his forces steadily reclaimed Henry's castles. The effort against the remaining recalcitrant barons came to
10804-476: The building is now being converted into flats, though progress stalled owing to the discovery of asbestos . Charter compensated for the demolition by funding a restoration scheme on North Street, preserving several historic buildings. The borough council operated from a row of houses in Elwick Road, until the civic centre was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 8 December 1983. To accommodate a growing population in
10952-427: The campaign did not go well. Possibly on the advice of Hubert, the King decided to avoid battle with the French by not invading Normandy and instead marching south into Poitou , where he campaigned ineffectually over the summer, before finally progressing safely into Gascony . He then made a truce with Louis which was to last until 1234 and returned to England having achieved nothing; historian Huw Ridgeway describes
11100-422: The civil war for Henry and punish the rebels. Guala set about strengthening the ties between England and the Papacy, starting with the coronation itself, where Henry gave homage to the Papacy, recognising Pope Honorius III as his feudal lord. Honorius declared that Henry was his vassal and ward , and that the legate had complete authority to protect Henry and his kingdom. As an additional measure, Henry took
11248-507: The civil war or possibly lost in The Wash , so instead the ceremony used a simple gold corolla belonging to Queen Isabella. Henry later underwent a second coronation at Westminster Abbey on 17 May 1220. The young king inherited a difficult situation, with over half of England occupied by the rebels and most of his father's continental possessions still in French hands. He had substantial support from Cardinal Guala , who intended to win
11396-400: The clauses, including those unfavourable to the Papacy. The move was not successful and opposition to Henry's new government hardened. In February 1217, Louis set sail for France to gather reinforcements. In his absence, arguments broke out between Louis's French and English followers, and Cardinal Guala declared that Henry's war against the rebels was a religious crusade. This resulted in
11544-474: The continent limited to Gascony and Poitou. John raised taxes to pay for military campaigns to regain his lands, but unrest grew among many of the English barons; John sought new allies by declaring England a papal fiefdom , owing allegiance to the Pope. In 1215, John and the rebel barons negotiated Magna Carta as potential peace treaty. The treaty would have limited potential abuses of royal power, demobilised
11692-425: The council and opened in 1983. The council has announced plans to move during 2024 to International House, a 1972 office building opposite Ashford International railway station , which the council bought in 2014. In 1961, the population of the districts which make up the present borough was as follows: Forty years later the population had almost doubled: the 2001 census recorded a population of 102,661. From
11840-460: The country. By the end of 1217, many former rebels were routinely ignoring instructions and even Henry's loyalist supporters jealously maintained their independent control over royal castles while illegally constructed fortifications, called adulterine castles , had sprung up across much of the country. The network of county sheriffs had collapsed and with it the ability to raise taxes and collect royal revenues. The powerful Prince Llywelyn posed
11988-532: The courts and legal process. Complaints from powerful barons such as William Marshal's son Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke , grew, and they argued that Henry was failing to protect their legal rights as described in the charters of 1225. A civil war erupted between the followers of des Roches and Marshal. Des Roches began by sending his armies into Richard's lands in both Ireland and South Wales . In response, Marshal allied himself with Prince Llywelyn, and his supporters rose up in rebellion in England. Henry
12136-517: The cross, declaring himself a crusader and so entitled to special protection from Rome. Two senior nobles stood out as candidates to head Henry's regency government. The first was William Marshal, who, although elderly, was renowned for his personal loyalty and could help support the war with his own men and material. The second was Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester , one of the most powerful loyalist barons. William diplomatically waited until both Guala and Ranulf had requested him to take up
12284-466: The disastrous Battle of Taillebourg . After this, Henry relied on diplomacy, cultivating an alliance with Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor . Henry supported his brother Richard of Cornwall in his successful bid to become King of the Romans in 1256, but was unable to place his own son Edmund Crouchback on the throne of Sicily , despite investing large amounts of money. He planned to go on crusade to
12432-563: The district is covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government for their areas. The council has been under no overall control since 2022. Following the 2023 election a coalition of the Ashford Independents and the Green Party took minority control of the council, led by Ashford Independent councillor Noel Ovenden. The first elections to the council were held in 1973, initially operating as
12580-883: The end of his reign, Henry may have taken up the practice of curing sufferers of scrofula , often called "the King's evil", by touching them , possibly emulating Louis, who also took up the practice. Louis had a famous collection of Passion Relics which he kept in the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and he paraded the Holy Cross through Paris in 1241; Henry took possession of the Relic of the Holy Blood in 1247, marching it through Westminster to be installed in Westminster Abbey, which he promoted as an alternative to
12728-457: The event of war or civil strife. He also kept a menagerie at the Tower, a tradition begun by his father, and his exotic specimens included an elephant , a leopard, and a camel. Henry reformed the system of silver coins in England in 1247, replacing the older Short Cross silver pennies with a new Long Cross design. Due to the initial costs of the transition, he required the financial help of his brother Richard to undertake this reform, but
12876-412: The existence of a Roman settlement to the north of the current centre, roughly at the junction of Albert Road and Wall Road. The present town originates from an original settlement established in 893 AD by inhabitants escaping a Danish Viking raid, who were granted land by a Saxon Lord for their resistance. The name comes from the Old English æscet , indicating a ford near a clump of ash trees . At
13024-528: The expedition as a "costly fiasco". Henry's chief minister, Hubert, fell from power in 1232. His old rival, Peter des Roches, had returned to England from the crusades in August 1231 and allied himself with the growing number of Hubert's political opponents. He put the case to Henry that the Justiciar had squandered royal money and lands, and was responsible for a series of riots against foreign clerics. As
13172-540: The field; And with a stronger faith embrace A sword, a horse, a shield. The council's coat of arms uses gold to symbolise richness, three sprigs of ash tree representing former council areas, and a lion to commemorate nearby Tenterden as one of the Cinque Ports . By road, Ashford is about 61 miles (98 km) southeast of central London, 13.0 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Maidstone , and 15.3 miles (24.6 km) northwest of Folkestone . The town lies at
13320-521: The first few years of his rule and retained Hubert as his justiciar to run the government, granting him the position for life. The fate of Henry's family lands in France still remained uncertain. Reclaiming these lands was extremely important to Henry, who used terms such as "reclaiming his inheritance", "restoring his rights", and "defending his legal claims" to the territories in diplomatic correspondence. The French kings had an increasing financial, and thus military, advantage over Henry. Even under John,
13468-401: The internationally recognised mathematician and one of Isaac Newton 's main tutors was born in Ashford in 1616, but moved to Tenterden in 1625 to avoid the plague . He was a promising student, and subsequently graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge . By the 1780s, local farmers had begun to hold informal market days, and advertised the town's ideal location between London, Chatham and
13616-534: The intersection of two valleys in Kent – the south edge of the North Downs and the valley of the River Stour , at the confluence of the Great Stour and East Stour rivers. This made it an ideal place for a settlement. The Borough of Ashford lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire and formed the basis from which
13764-496: The late 1920s an Ordnance Depot was established at Ashford; it remained in use until 1996. The town was a target in the Battle of Britain during World War II , including an attack on 15 September 1940. During the latter war ultimately 94 civilians were lost to enemy action in the Urban District. The Joint Services School of Intelligence was based at Templer Barracks to the west of town. Robert Runcie , later to become
13912-556: The late 1990s, excavation produced tools from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic period dating back to the 7th millennium BC. A number of other Mesolithic tools were discovered during construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link through Ashford. In Roman Britain , iron ore was mined in the Weald and transported to Ashford where two ironworks processed the ore into a workable metal. Archaeological studies have postulated
14060-403: The listings: Grade I listed buildings in Ashford (borough) . Beyond the town of Ashford , most of the borough's land area is rural, with fields, woodland and fruit orchards . Much of the woodland is coppiced . Changes in rural land use over the past century mirror those in the rest of the present County. The north-east of the borough, including the villages of Wye and Chilham , is within
14208-522: The lower classes. Unlike his father, Henry did not exploit the large debts that the barons frequently owed to the Crown, and was slow to collect any sums of money due to him. The royal court was formed round Henry's trusted friends, such as Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester ; the brothers Hugh Bigod and Roger Bigod, 4th Earl of Norfolk ; Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford ; and Henry's brother, Richard. Henry wanted to use his court to unite his English and continental subjects, and it included
14356-419: The major lords, had little power, allowing the major barons to dominate the local justice system. The power of royal sheriffs also declined during Henry's reign. They were now often lesser men appointed by the exchequer, rather than coming from important local families, and they focused on generating revenue for the King. Their robust attempts to enforce fines and collect debts generated much unpopularity among
14504-407: The military defences and the internal accommodation of these castles were significantly improved. A huge overhaul of Windsor Castle produced a lavish palace complex, whose style and detail inspired many subsequent designs in England and Wales. The Tower of London was extended to form a concentric fortress with extensive living quarters, although Henry primarily used the castle as a secure retreat in
14652-480: The most prosperous in Europe. This was primarily the result of the stance taken by the regency government, which took a range of measures to protect the Jews and encourage lending. This was driven by financial self-interest, as they stood to profit considerably from a strong Jewish community in England. Their policy ran counter to the instructions being sent from the Pope, who had laid out strong anti-Jewish measures at
14800-449: The negotiations were completed, Richard died of wounds suffered in battle, leaving his younger brother Gilbert to inherit his lands. The final settlement was confirmed in May, and Henry was widely praised for his humility in submitting to the slightly embarrassing peace. Meanwhile, the truce with France regarding Brittany expired, and Henry's ally Duke Peter quickly found himself subjected to French military pressure. Henry could only send
14948-521: The night of 18 October, leaving the nine-year-old Henry as his heir. Henry was staying safely at Corfe Castle in Dorset with his mother when King John died. On his deathbed, John appointed a council of thirteen executors to help Henry reclaim the kingdom and requested that his son be placed into the guardianship of William Marshal , one of the most famous knights in England. The loyalist leaders decided to crown Henry immediately to reinforce his claim to
15096-527: The north of the town. In 2017, the Kent-based Curious Brewing constructed a factory on a brownfield site adjacent to Ashford International station in 2017 after a £1.7m crowdfunded cash investment. It opened in May 2019. The train operating company Southeastern partnered with Curious, and advertise the brewery around Ashford International station. In 2004 Regional Planning Guidance set out plans to invest £2.5m in Ashford, including
15244-500: The northeast of town in 2015. Ashford's main library originally opened in 1966 on a war-damaged site on Church Road. In 2010, the building was redeveloped to house Ashford Gateway Plus, which provides local council services in addition to the library itself. Other attractions near the town include Ashford Borough Museum, Godinton House and Gardens and the New Mill at Willesborough, which is Grade II listed. The first cinema in Ashford
15392-404: The originally French knight Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester , who had married Henry's sister Eleanor, in addition to the later influxes of Henry's Savoyard and Lusignan relatives. The court followed European styles and traditions, and was heavily influenced by Henry's Angevin family traditions: French was the spoken language, it had close links to the royal courts of France, Castile ,
15540-403: The park has been marked by Ashford Borough Council as a nature reserve. This area includes Victoria Park, which lies to the immediate south of the town centre and the railway. It includes an ornate fountain first shown at the 2nd International Exhibition in London in 1862, and presented to the park by George Harper on 24 July 1912. The Coningbrook Lakes Country Park opened on a former quarry site to
15688-595: The period, the Papal Legates helped Henry continue to apply influence over its activities at a distance. Pope Innocent IV 's attempts to raise funds began to face opposition from within the English Church during Henry's reign. In 1240, the Papal emissary's collection of taxes to pay for the Papacy's war with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II resulted in protests, ultimately overcome with the help of Henry and
15836-612: The political climate became increasingly hostile, Hubert decided to seek sanctuary in Merton Priory , but Henry had him arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London . Des Roches took over the King's government, backed by the Poitevin baronial faction in England, who saw this as a chance to take back lands that had been seized and given to Hubert's followers over the previous decades. Des Roches used his new authority to begin stripping his opponents of their estates while circumventing
15984-430: The post before assuming power. William then appointed des Roches to be Henry's guardian, freeing himself up to lead the military effort. The war was not going well for the loyalists and the new regency government considered retreating to Ireland . Prince Louis and the rebel barons were also finding it difficult to make further progress. Despite Louis controlling Westminster Abbey , he could not be crowned king because
16132-477: The post of justiciar vacant and turning the position of chancellor into a more junior role. A small royal council was formed but its role was ill-defined; appointments, patronage, and policy were decided personally by Henry and his immediate advisers, rather than through the larger councils that had marked his early years. The changes made it much harder for those outside Henry's inner circle to influence policy or to pursue legitimate grievances, particularly against
16280-431: The provinces and, ultimately, the collapse of his authority at court. The inconsistency with which he applied the charters over the course of his rule alienated many barons, even those within his own faction. The term " parliament " first appeared in the 1230s and 1240s to describe large gatherings of the royal court and parliamentary gatherings were held periodically throughout Henry's reign. They were used to agree upon
16428-399: The provision of royal justice was inconsistent and driven by the needs of immediate politics: sometimes action would be taken to address a legitimate baronial complaint, and on other occasions, the problem would simply be ignored. The royal eyres , courts which toured the country to provide justice at the local level, typically for those lesser barons and the gentry claiming grievances against
16576-404: The raising of taxes which, in the 13th century, were single, one-off levies, typically on movable property , and intended to support the King's normal revenues for particular projects. During Henry's reign, the counties began to send regular delegations to these parliaments and came to represent a broader cross-section of the community than simply the major barons. Despite the various charters,
16724-500: The rebel armies and set up a power-sharing arrangement, but in practice, neither side complied with its conditions. John and the loyalist barons firmly rejected Magna Carta and the First Barons' War erupted, with the rebel barons aided by Philip's son Louis (later Louis VIII), who claimed the English throne for himself. The war soon settled into a stalemate, with neither side able to claim victory. The king became ill and died on
16872-496: The rebel clergy, whose lands and appointments remained forfeit. Louis accepted a gift of ~£6,700 to speed his departure from England, and promised to try to persuade King Philip to return Henry's lands in France. Louis left England as agreed and joined the Albigensian Crusade in the south of France. With the end of the civil war, Henry's government faced the task of rebuilding royal authority across large parts of
17020-476: The recoinage occurred quickly and efficiently. Between 1243 and 1258, the King assembled two great hoards , or stockpiles, of gold. In 1257, Henry needed to spend the second of these hoards urgently and, rather than selling the gold quickly and depressing its value, he decided to introduce gold pennies into England, following the popular trend in Italy . The gold pennies resembled the gold coins issued by Edward
17168-715: The redevelopment of the Templer Barracks at Repton Park, the Finberry estate to the southeast, and the award-winning Ashford Designer Outlet . There has been evidence of human habitation around Ashford since the Iron Age , with a barrow dated to 1500 BC on what is now Barrow Hill. Two axes from the Lower Paleolithic period have been found near Ashford. During the construction of the Park Farm estate in
17316-415: The rights of the major barons. His early rule was dominated first by Hubert de Burgh and then Peter des Roches , who re-established royal authority after the war. In 1230, the King attempted to reconquer the provinces of France that had once belonged to his father, but the invasion was a debacle. A revolt led by William Marshal's son Richard broke out in 1232, ending in a peace settlement negotiated by
17464-526: The style "town council". Much of the built-up area of Ashford itself is unparished , although some suburbs fall within parishes. 51°08′47″N 0°52′03″E / 51.1465°N 0.8676°E / 51.1465; 0.8676 Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester , was King of England , Lord of Ireland , and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême , Henry assumed
17612-476: The throne of England". Henry extended the royal complex at Westminster in London, one of his favourite homes, rebuilding the palace and the abbey at a cost of almost £55,000. He spent more time in Westminster than any of his predecessors, shaping the formation of England's capital city. He spent £58,000 on his royal castles, carrying out major works at the Tower of London , Lincoln and Dover . Both
17760-422: The throne when he was only nine in the middle of the First Barons' War . Cardinal Guala Bicchieri declared the war against the rebel barons to be a religious crusade and Henry's forces, led by William Marshal , defeated the rebels at the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217. Henry promised to abide by Great Charter of 1225 , a later version of the 1215 Magna Carta , which limited royal power and protected
17908-442: The throne. William knighted the boy, and Cardinal Guala Bicchieri , the papal legate to England, then oversaw his coronation at Gloucester Cathedral on 28 October 1216. In the absence of Archbishops Stephen Langton of Canterbury and Walter de Gray of York , Henry was anointed by Bishops Sylvester of Worcester and Simon of Exeter , and crowned by Peter des Roches . The royal crown had been either lost or sold during
18056-532: The time of the Domesday Book of 1086 it was still known by its original Saxon name of Essetesford (or Eshetisford , Esselesford , Asshatisforde , Essheford ). The manor was owned by Hugh de Montfort , Constable of England and companion of William the Conqueror , and had a church, two mills and a value of 150 shillings (£7.50) at the time. One of the earliest houses in the area still in existence
18204-415: The time, the Jews were mortgaged to Richard of Cornwall , who intervened to release the Jews that were not executed, probably also with the backing of Dominican or Franciscan friars . Henry passed the Statute of Jewry in 1253, which attempted to stop the construction of synagogues and enforce the wearing of Jewish badges , in line with existing Church pronouncements; it remains unclear to what extent
18352-466: The town centre. The town's main shopping centre is County Square, which was built over Hempsted Street and connecting roads, opening in 1973 as the Tufton Centre. In 1989, the centre was renamed to County Square and refurbished by CIN Properties, who added a glass roof. In 2008, the centre was expanded to include 50,000 sq ft of new retail space including a Debenhams store. Outside the town centre
18500-803: The town centre." Ashford now has the oldest surviving St John Ambulance unit. John Furley , founder of the association, was born in Ashford. He established the British Red Cross Society in 1868, gaining support from the Duke of Edinburgh via a royal admiral living at Eastwell Park , close to the town. The Grosvenor Sanatorium opened in 1915 to help patients with tuberculosis , and could cater for 110 male patients, and 78 female. The philosopher Simone Weil lived in Ashford after escaping from France during World War II. She felt guilty about leaving French people behind in suffering and did not eat well. She subsequently contracted tuberculosis and
18648-542: The town's growth as a rail hub at the centre of five distinct railway lines. The high speed rail line ( HS1 High Speed 1 ) between London and the Channel Tunnel passes through Ashford's International Railway Station thus linking the town to Paris and other European destinations. The M20 motorway connects Ashford to the Channel Tunnel , the national motorway network (via the M25 Motorway ) and to London (via
18796-566: The town's growth. Developers agreeing to invest in the town include Quinn Estates, GRE Assets, U+I and Stanhope . In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched loveashford.com, a website designed to promote new businesses in the town centre as part of the Portas Pilot scheme, which encourages regeneration of town high streets in decline. Brandon Lewis , High Streets Minister said he would "encourage all businesses in Ashford to sign up and be part of this excellent opportunity to boost their trade in
18944-529: The town. The first proposed was the Commercial Quarter near the station, which opened in 2018, and the second was a new junction 10A of the M20 motorway. The first of the housing projects to make progress was Chilmington Green, a 5,750-house development near Ashford's suburbs. A primary school is set to be built as part of the residential development, with planning permission granted in 2022. The first of
19092-463: The town. These include Waterbrook Park, where there is dedicated space for HGV parking, Eureka Science and Business Park, including manufacturing sites and office complexes; and Orbital Park, the market's current location, which has a regular boot fair. Three modern shopping centres are located in the town. Park Mall opened in 1985 on the former Folkestone Glass Works site and is now managed by Ashford Borough Council, as part of its strategy to regenerate
19240-542: The victors had arranged the ransoming of their prisoners. Meanwhile, support for Louis's campaign was diminishing in France, and he concluded that the war in England was lost. Louis negotiated terms with Cardinal Guala, under which he would renounce his claim to the English throne; in return, his followers would be given back their lands, any sentences of excommunication would be lifted and Henry's government would promise to enforce Magna Carta. The proposed agreement soon began to unravel amid claims from some loyalists that it
19388-414: The way in which Edward had brought peace to England and reunited his people in order and harmony. Henry tried to use his royal authority leniently, hoping to appease the more hostile barons and maintain peace in England. As a result, despite a symbolic emphasis on royal power, Henry's rule was relatively circumscribed and constitutional. He generally acted within the terms of the charters, which prevented
19536-560: The weakness of the English Crown. Henry's mother was unable to establish a role for herself in the regency government and she returned to France in 1217, marrying Hugh X de Lusignan , a powerful Poitevin noble. William Marshal fell ill and died in April 1219. The replacement government was formed around a grouping of three senior ministers: Pandulf Verraccio , the replacement Papal legate; Peter des Roches ; and Hubert de Burgh ,
19684-474: The years of Henry's minority; as a result, the province fell quickly. It became clear that Gascony would also fall unless reinforcements were sent from England. In early 1225 a great council approved a tax of £40,000 to dispatch an army, which managed to retake Gascony. In exchange for agreeing to support Henry, the barons demanded that he reissue Magna Carta as well as the Charter of the Forest . This time
19832-533: Was The Picture Palace on Tufton Street, followed by the Odeon on Lower High Street, which opened in 1936 and closed in 1976. The current main cinema in Ashford is a 12 screen theatre in Eureka Leisure Park to the north of town. In 2013, Ashford Borough Council announced plans to build a new cinema in the town, using vacant land off Elwick Road. Construction of the six-screen Picturehouse cinema (along with
19980-556: Was born in Winchester Castle on 1 October 1207. He was the eldest son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême . Little is known of Henry's early life. He was initially looked after by a wet nurse called Ellen in the south of England, away from John's itinerant court, and probably had close ties to his mother. Henry had four legitimate younger brothers and sisters – Richard , Joan , Isabella , and Eleanor – and various older illegitimate siblings. In 1212 his education
20128-404: Was built over the tank in 1988. H.S. Pledge & Sons Ltd built two flour mills in Ashford, and became an important employer in the town. The first opened on Victoria Road in 1890 while the second opened on East Hill in 1901. The mills closed in 1972 and were both partially destroyed by subsequent fires. The East Hill Mill fire occurred in 1974, but the main six-storey tower block survived. It
20276-480: Was buried in Westminster Abbey , which he had rebuilt in the second half of his reign, and was moved to his current tomb in 1290. Some miracles were declared after his death, but he was not canonised . Henry's reign of 56 years was the longest in medieval English history and would not be surpassed by an English, or later British, monarch until that of George III in the 18th and 19th centuries. Henry
20424-474: Was declared by the King to be a mere school and not a true university. The support given to Henry by the Papacy during his early years had a lasting influence on his attitude towards Rome, and he defended the mother church diligently throughout his reign. Rome in the 13th century was at once both the centre of the Europe-wide Church and a political power in central Italy, threatened militarily by
20572-549: Was demanded in 1244, for example, of which around two-thirds was collected within five years – destroying the ability of the Jewish community to lend money commercially. The financial pressure Henry placed on the Jews caused them to force repayment or sale of loans, fuelling anti-Jewish resentment. The sale of Jewish bonds was a particular grievance among smaller landowners such as knights, as bonds were bought at low prices and used by richer barons and members of Henry's royal circle as
20720-451: Was entrusted to Peter des Roches , the bishop of Winchester ; under his direction, Henry was given military training by Philip d'Aubigny and taught to ride, probably by Ralph of St Samson. Little is known about Henry's appearance; he was probably around 1.68 metres (5 ft 6 in) tall, and accounts recorded after his death suggested that he had a strong build, with a drooping eyelid . Henry grew up to occasionally show flashes of
20868-675: Was identified as one of four key areas for expansion in South East England. Subsequently, the Ashford's Future Company was set up to support a mix of publicly and privately funded projects in the town. The soup manufacturer Batchelors became a significant employer in Ashford when they opened a £2.5m factory in Willesborough, east of the town centre, in 1957. A substantial proportion of Batchelors staff moved from their main production unit in Sheffield to Ashford. The factory
21016-499: Was moved to the sanatorium where she died in 1943. A section of the old Ashford Bypass is now named Simone Weil Avenue, while the sanatorium subsequently became the Ashford Police Training Centre . Ashford Hospital opened to the west of town on 3 August 1928, replacing a smaller 19th century building in town. It has more recently been used as a health centre and retirement home but plans to redevelop it into
21164-405: Was originally used for trade, but during the early 20th century its role expanded to cover dinners, dances and trade shows. The building was extended to improve capacity in the 1930s. It was demolished in 1963. The Ashford Green Corridor is a linear park alongside the two main rivers through the town, which is protected from development by lying on the main flood plain. Most of the area covered by
21312-526: Was presented to the town on 1 August 1919 to thank the townsfolk for their war efforts. It is situated in St Georges Square near the town centre. For some years, electricity provider Seeboard fitted an electricity substation inside the tank, but this has now been removed; the substation is cited as the reason the tank was not reclaimed during World War II for its metal to be used, as happened with other tanks gifted to municipalities. A protective cover
21460-517: Was reported in nearby Hinxhill, while an earthquake struck the town on 1 June 1756. The 2007 Kent earthquake , which registered 4.3 on the Richter magnitude scale , was felt in Ashford, though its effects were greatest in Folkestone . Ashford gets around 750 millimetres (30 in) of rain a year, though the town generally has less rainfall than areas closer to the North Downs . The area around
21608-448: Was too generous towards the rebels, particularly the clergy who had joined the rebellion. In the absence of a settlement, Louis remained in London with his remaining forces. On 24 August 1217, a French fleet arrived off the coast of Sandwich , bringing soldiers, siege engines , and fresh supplies to Louis. Hubert de Burgh , Henry's justiciar , set sail to intercept it, resulting in the Battle of Sandwich . De Burgh's fleet scattered
21756-410: Was unable to gain a clear military advantage and became concerned that Louis of France might seize the opportunity to invade Brittany – as their truce was about to expire – while he was distracted at home. Edmund of Abingdon , the Archbishop of Canterbury , intervened in 1234 and held several great councils, advising Henry to accept the dismissal of des Roches. Henry agreed to make peace, but, before
21904-461: Was used as a nightclub until 2014, when the nearby Ashford School , which acquired the building in 2011, decided not to renew the lease. The Victoria Mills were almost completely destroyed by a fire in September 1984, and the remainder of the building had to be demolished. The Corn Exchange, situated at the junction of Bank Street and Elwick Road, opened on 3 December 1861. As the name implies, it
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