Beating the Bounds of Cuxton Parish - revisited...

(For those interested in a more detailed history of the "beating of the bounds at Cuxton", I have now given the subject its own blog page - click on the link given or go to the home page and access it from the right-hand side bar under "pages)...

Given that the last “beating” of the Cuxton Parish boundary took place in October 2018, I recently decided to undertake my own “perambulation” of the Cuxton parish boundary this year. In his book, “Cuxton: a Kentish Village”, local historian Derek Church described his own reconnaissance undertaken back in the early seventies, and I thought it would be interesting to see how things had changed.

Beating the Bounds - the party of 1957 at Whorne's Place...

I started my journey at Whorne’s Place on the Rochester Road, as did the party for the 1957 perambulation. Scratched into the brickwork on the wall to the left of the storehouse backing on to the road is an arrow, which serves as one of the boundary markers. One of Derek Church’s old photos from 1960 shows this clearly, as well as the date “1895” and the initials “AP”. 

Marker at Whorne's Place, 1960...

Whilst the arrow is still visible, the passage of another 60 years (with corrosion assisted by today’s modern traffic pollution, no doubt) has seen the date inscription badly eroded, although it is still just about visible.

Crossing the road, I turned up the public footpath past Woodway Cottage and on towards the top of Church Hill. This is now a path fraught with some danger, as the adjacent field is often occupied by two particularly large black horses (and their offspring) of dubious temperament that have been known to kick or bite passers-by (as one unfortunate member of the Cuxton Countryside Group found out a few years back). Fortunately, most of the path now has a high chain-link fence protecting passers-by from unwanted equine attention. The last 200 yards or so are still only sectioned off with tape however and of course, the horses were present in this area but on this occasion they seemed to be well-behaved. Nevertheless, it was with a sense of relief that I reached the top of Church Hill and the farm gate stile.

The parish boundary itself runs through Bore’s Hole, the now-abandoned chalk pit that fed the Trenchman and Weekes cement works that used to be behind Whorne’s Place. The works shut down in the 1920s and the chimneys were demolished in 1951.  

By the gate there is a stone marked “T.W” and dated 1900, which undoubtedly stands for Trenchman & Weekes and probably marks the edge of what used to be their land boundary. From here, I took the path through May’s Wood to the left of the main track, and followed it westwards towards the pit edge. The path follows the parish boundary fairly closely at this point.

Trees do not make for enduring markers and indeed, the “huge beech tree just in May’s Wood above the pit edge” referred to by Mr. Church had long since gone. I found the first boundary marker tree further up, close to the junction with the path that leads down to the east of Dean Valley. The earliest date on it is 1990, suggesting that the original had indeed blown over in the storm of 1987.

May's Wood, boundary marker tree...

From there, I carried on along the track until it rejoined the main path. Interestingly, Derek Church notes an old yew tree mentioned as a boundary marker in 1796, located in “Warren Scrubs” and on the slope above Warren House just before the track rejoins the main path there are indeed several splendid old yew trees. Whether any of these are the 1796 one or not (or indeed, the same one that Derek Church recalls finding) is difficult to say. There is also a nice beech tree with them that would make a good boundary marker. 

Ancient yew on the parish boundary, "Warren Scrubs"...

After a short distance, just before the crossroads of the Warren Hill/Ridgeway/North Down’s Way tracks, the parish boundary dips down across Dean Valley. Ordnance Survey maps indicate a boundary stone on the main track at this point, but I could not find it.  There are a couple of mature beech trees in the immediate area that serve as good references points, however. Turning right at the crossroads off the main track, I followed the North Downs Way down the steps and through the gate. The parish boundary runs across Dean Valley from a point just to the east of the gate at the bottom of the steps, carries on past the eastern edge of the pond and then up and across North Wood.

Derek Church gives the impression that it used to be possible to track directly across the valley, following the parish boundary directly into North Wood, but the valley has since been fenced off. I therefore carried on following the North Downs way that runs to the west of Dean Farm, crossing the valley and turning left (ducking under the chain) along the path westwards through North Wood. The Parish boundary intersects the westward track through North Wood at a point just after where the first set of overhead power lines cross – there is a pylon right by the track.

Mr. Church noted that there was a boundary-marking yew on the southern edge of North Wood bearing the markings “C 1957, 1966”. I did head east off of the main track in an attempt to find this and succeeded in getting to the boundary fence, but I could not find the tree mentioned. The area is pretty much overgrown with brambles and is not readily accessible.

Derek Church stated that “just to the west of the (main) track was a large hornbeam marked C 1948 and C 1966”. Exactly on the boundary (just to the west of the track as described) are the ruins of a big tree that looked like it had suffered a lightning strike and this may have been the tree that Mr. Church referred to. I certainly couldn’t find any mature hornbeams that are still standing in the area.

Burnt/dead tree, right on the parish boundary in North Wood...

There is, however, a magnificent beech just to the east of the dead tree and it would be fitting to adopt this as a boundary marker in the absence of any others in the area.

Beech close to parish boundary, North Wood...

Mr. Church says that he dropped down the slope from there to the bottom of Bush Valley, but these days the brambles and undergrowth would make this a slow and difficult transit, so I therefore stuck on the main track. The main path runs to the south of the parish boundary, the latter meeting the edge of the woods on the south-eastern corner of Bush Valley and following the fence line across the valley before turning north into Bushy Wood.

The path through North Wood comes out close to the pylons. I crossed under the overhead wires and then took the track off on the right which leads down towards the public footpath NS214, which itself crosses the valley directly up to Luddesdown. Instead of taking the NS214, however, I turned right, down the farm track towards the bottom of Bush Valley until I reached the pylon track again. Making use of the clearing underneath, I followed the slope down to the gate at the bottom and ducked under the gap at the side.

The Ordnance survey map shows a line of boundary stones running along the southern edge of Bush Valley and indeed, I found two on the eastern side of the valley just inside the fence opposite the pheasant pen. At the bottom of Bush valley, the gate into the woods is locked shut and has been festooned with oh so friendly and picturesque barbed wire to keep the local peasantry at bay... 

Gate, bottom of Bush Valley on the parish boundary...

The OS map indicates a marker stone here but I could not find it: perhaps it got grubbed up when the gate post was put in. Further up on the western side of the valley, I did succeed in finding another four marker stones, again all just inside the fence line. They are quite small (about six inches square and maybe nine inches tall) and are marked “HA” on the south-facing side. 

Boundary marker stones, southern edge of Bush Valley...

It’s worth noting that there are some concrete stones marked “H.A” (note the dot between the H and the A) further up the valley, towards White Pit in Halling. These are much larger than the parish boundary markers and are similar in style to the aforementioned Trenchman and Weekes stone up by Bores Hole. These latter stones are undoubtedly property boundary markers for Hilton and Anderson, the old cement company that used to work White Pit (hence the H.A) whereas the HA on the parish boundary markers probably just stands for HAlling, which shares the boundary with Cuxton at this point.

From the uppermost of the western marker stones, I scrambled eastwards up the bank through some scraggy brambles until I got onto the public footpath NS214, and then followed that up the hill into Bushy Wood. The NS214 meanders upwards and north-westwards for a bit and at a clearing by the junction of the Luddesdown-bound NS214 with a track leading northwards towards Clarkes Wood, I found a hornbeam that serves as another marker tree. 

Bushy Wood - boundary marker Hornbeam with dates 1966 - 2018...

This bore dates back to 1990 on one side, but on the other side the dates went back to 1966. Derek Church refers to a “hornbeam clearly marked C 1966” in the area and I think this must be the same tree.

Taking the northwards farm track from the junction, the row of large yew trees he also mentioned were evident, however, so I knew I must be on the right path.

Yews on parish boundary, Bushy Wood...

The track opens out to a clearing above which the HV pylon cables run. Walking over to the edge of Clarke’s Wood, the path continues onwards. Once in the woods I followed the path downwards and then took a right turn just before the path dipped steeply, about 100 yards before what I think is one of the biggest beech trees I have ever seen. After a while, I found the large marker beech that I photographed on my 2018 tour. 

Beech, boundary marker, Clarke's Wood...

This is the only remaining “original” marker tree as far as I know, bearing dates right back to 1930. Derek Church refers to a tree marked in 1948, 1957 and 1966 that he could not find and I think this might be the tree he missed, although it does not have the 1966 date. 

The tree does lie somewhat to the east of the parish boundary and perhaps this is why Mr. Church (a keen scout leader with undoubtedly prodigious orienteering skills) missed it. (I cheat, by the way, and use a hand-held sat-nav…)

Mr. Church mentioned another beech in Clarke’s Wood marked “C 1966”, which suggests that the beech described above was missed out by the 1966 bound-beating team and another was marked up instead. 

There are so many venerable beech trees in the area that I was satisfied to have found the one marker tree that I did, but I would need to do a more intensive search to find the “missing” 1966 tree, which I am sure is still there.  Incidentally, there is a splendid old hornbeam just down the track from the marker beech tree that is much nearer the parish boundary and would make a good marker tree.

I made my way northwards, passing a row of four yew trees that sit exactly on the parish boundary and also another large beech, unmarked, but again, right on the boundary. 

Row of yews on parish boundary, border of Clarkes/Red Wood...

Eventually the track leads out on to the field at the eastern edge of Red Wood, close to the parish boundary. Following the parish boundary northwards towards Warren House involved a short crossing over a newly-ploughed field, which, thanks to the recent wet weather, was extremely hard going.

View towards Warren House from the parish boundary at Red Wood...

Eventually, and with about three inches of heavy brown mud clinging to the bottom of my boots, I made it to the green just below Warren House. 

In the past, it has been traditional for refreshments to be served to the perambulators at this point, but I had to make do with a quick swig from my water bottle to celebrate leaving Vineyard Farms’ land, before going through the little gate and starting up towards the railway tunnel I always call the “Icicle Arch”.

The "Icicle" arch, February 2021...

Once through the tunnel, the old path that runs up the hill has long been fenced off for some reason and has become overgrown. Instead, I had to slog alongside it by walking through the long, wet grass at the edge of the adjacent field. Fortunately the barbed-wire fence at the top had fallen down and I was able to get on the Cobham track, dropping down the hill slightly and going through the Plotlands gate on the left. I headed up the hill again slightly before taking a track on the right, leading northwards up and across Warren Plain that runs slightly west of the parish boundary.

I took a slight detour off the path eastwards towards the Plantlife gate where a sign says that they are allegedly re-establishing some “chalk grassland”. Nearby is a tree graveyard where several large beech trees have blown over, presumably in the great 1987 storm. One of these fallen trees was an original marker, now lying on its side with its roots forlornly levered out of the ground. Moss now obscures a lot of the dates on the stricken trunk and it is difficult to see how far back they go, though dates back to “1966” are visible. 

Fallen beech marker tree, Plotlands. Another tree behind it has been adopted, as can be seen above...

Derek Church refers to a tree in this area marked “C 1966” and I think the fallen tree must be the same one. There is a newly adopted beech tree right behind it though, bearing dates from 1990 onwards. Curiously, the most recent 2015 and 2018 perambulations have been missed out.

Beech marker on Plotlands, parish boundary...

Returning to the main track, I continued up the hill. On the left in a clearing there is a single large beech, right on the parish boundary, bearing the Cuxton “C” and the dates 1983, 1985 and 2018. It seems the earlier tree down the hill is sometimes overlooked for some reason.

Beech, marker tree, Warren Plain...

Derek Church mentioned a beech tree on Williams Hill that bore the markings “C 1966, C 1957 and C 1911”. I spent some time looking for such a tree but could not find it. Whether it still stands or was a victim of the 1987 storm, I don’t know.

Turning right up the track just inside the park fence leads to an old hornbeam located by a gate, which bears perambulation marks back to 1990.  Again, this suggests a nearby marker tree had gone over in the ’87 storm.

Hornbeam, marker tree, Williams Hill...

The track from William’s Hill eventually levels out just behind and to the east of the Mausoleum. Following the track eastwards that runs just outside of the Cobham park fence leads to the top edge of Birch Wood and (just down the hill a short way) the remains of the Toe Memorial (the story of which is told here). This stands very close to the south of the parish boundary and itself is a good “marker”.

Heading back up the hill and onto the main Cobham path, I did find a beech off the track on the left just before Five Throws corner, not marked with a “C” but bearing the year 2018, although this seems to be too far north (by about 120m) to be a boundary marker.

Beech, Cobham trail, marked 2018.  Marker tree..?

At Five Throws there is also another tree marked “C 1930” but with no other dates.  

Hornbeam, Five Throws...

Just to the east of Five Throws, the parish boundary comes up from the south-west to join the Cobham track for a while. There is a stand of hornbeams at this point, which looked rather splendid in their autumn colours, but are not marked in any way.  Perhaps one of them should be.  

Further down, there is a stand of chestnuts and hornbeams (again, unmarked) showing the place where the parish boundary leaves the Cobham trail and heads north-east to cross the A2.

At the junction of the main path by the footbridge and tunnel to Albatross Road in Strood under the Hi-Speed rail link, there is a marker tree (hornbeam) bearing dates back to 1990. 

Hornbeam, Albatross Way junction on Cobham trail...

This tree stands about 100m east of the actual parish boundary, which by now follows the northern edge of the M2, across the A228 and down to the river.

I had no intention of crossing into darkest Strood to find out if the parish boundary could be tracked on that side. Instead, I followed the path next to high-speed railway track down the towards the Ranscombe reserve car park on Sundridge Hill.

I could have walked down to the main road and along to the business park, picking up the track that leads back under the bridge, around the back of the gypsy encampment and through the underpass back to the station. That, however, is quite a horrible walk, with much of the latter bit of that route obstructed by dumped rubbish and overgrown with brambles.

Given that (1) in reality, the parish boundary runs along the middle of the river from the A2 bridge until Whorne’s Place and (2), I was knackered, I satisfied myself with the view of the river as seen from Ranscombe just above the car park. I then headed to the White Hart via Longhoes, across the railway crossing and down Pebble Lane (just as Derek Church says he did fifty years ago) for a well-deserved pint or three, before completing the loop up Rochester Road to Whorne’s Place.

Although it actually lies some 320m to the north-west of the parish boundary (which, as mentioned earlier, lies in the middle of the river at this point) I have included the White Hart as the 30th and final point on my own personal list and map of 30 parish boundary markers, as not only is the building of considerable local historical interest, but it is also the place where all Cuxton Parish boundary perambulations normally finish – and no walking map is complete without a pub on it, in my own opinion!

The White Hart, now and 100 years ago: where all boundary perambulations finish...

My FitBit gadget told me that I had completed 8.2 miles at this point, which had taken me around 8 hours, although I did spend a fair bit of time looking for markers that were hard to find, weren’t there or were hiding from me (not logged on the FitBit, which I paused when going “off-piste”…).

It is quite a slog, up and down the valley four times in all and over some quite tough terrain, but I reckon the “perambulation” could be comfortably done by a group in 5-6 hours.

As might be expected, things have obviously changed since Derek Church undertook his own parish boundary explorations in the late sixties/early seventies. Access to woodlands is harder as there are a lot more locked gates and barbed-wire fencing: it seems landowners are (understandably) getting more and more protective of their land. It also seems that a lot of the woodlands and paths in the "care" of Vineyard Farms Ltd. are being sadly neglected these days, as indeed is most of the land (including their vineyards) under their ownership. Many old trees were also lost in the great storm of October 1987. 

There may also be more "modern" markers that I did not find, along with some older ones that may still be around but (so far) have eluded me. The parish boundary walk-around is nevertheless an interesting and enjoyable challenge, and I have no doubt that a "formal" perambulation will be organised soon.

References:

1)   Cuxton: A Kentish Village by Derek Church (published by Arthur J Cassell Ltd, 1976, ISBN 0 903253 12 7), Chapter 2, pp 11-19.

Southern Ranscombe...

 A few shots from a stroll around and about the southern part of the reserve in the autumn sunshine...

Mill Hill...

Upper Bush from Mill Hill...

Looking south from Brockles...

Beeches at Brockles...

Beeches at Brockles...

Towards Kitchen Field...

Kitchen Field...

Copse at Kitchen Field...

Towards Cuxton from First Fiance Field...

Bush Valley from the top of Barrow Hill...

Mays Wood....

The Toe Memorial...

The Toe Memorial - as it is now, and as it was 100 years ago...

The remains of the "Toe Memorial" today...

At the top of the path that runs to the west of Birch Wood, just to the south of the parish boundary between Cuxton and Cobham, lie the remains of a rather curious monument, locally known as the “Toe Memorial.”

Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley...

Hidden amongst a stand of yew trees, it marks the spot where (so the story goes) Edward Bligh, the 5th Earl of Darnley, FRS, (b.1795) received a self-inflicted wound that led to his untimely death at the age of 39. As local historian Derek Church tells us:

“On 4^th. February 1835, Lord Darnley was walking in the [Cobham] Park with his cousin, Charles Bligh, when they came across some woodcutters. Possibly thinking that he could do better, Lord Darnley borrowed an axe and said ‘Now I’ll show you how to cut a root in halves’. He struck a mighty blow that glanced off the root and nearly severed his little toe..." 

He started and said: “I have harmed myself, I fear! But it might have been worse and I ought to consider myself fortunate…”  He staggered to a nearby cottage just above the scene of the accident, where his foot was dressed.

The Earl clearly didn't take the accident seriously: only the next day he wrote: “We are all well here, barring that I almost cut off a little toe with an axe yesterday: providentially it is a matter of no consequence, but might have been a serious accident...

But in the days before tetanus injections, such an injury was a serious matter. This illness, (also known as lockjaw) set in and a week after the accident, the Earl died.

Edward Bligh, 5th Earl of Darnley...

His grieving widow, the Countess of Darnley, Emma Jane Bligh (nee Parnell), mother of Lord Darnley’s five children, subsequently had the memorial built to commemorate the incident.

Some have written that the Countess Darnley’s shrine to her late husband is a “monument to arrogance and stupidity”, but a little research soon shows that the arrogance and stupidity lies only with those who would suggest such a thing. Indeed, this slur has been thoroughly debunked by local historian Geoff Ettridge in his excellent blog post on the subject (a link to which is given below).

As Geoff tells us, the 5th Earl of Darnley was, by any standards, a forward-thinking, honest, liberal man who was well respected by all who knew him, and his sad loss was keenly felt by both his peers and his estate workers at the time. To imply that he was perennially arrogant or stupid is a grievous sleight, both upon the man’s character and to his memory.

The memorial, alas, has not withstood the tests of time. Rather like the adjacent Darnley mausoleum (built in 1876 by the third Earl of Darnley, Edward’s grandfather) it suffered extensive vandalism in the seventies and eighties, but unlike the mausoleum, it has not been subject to restoration.

A photograph of the memorial from around 1920 shows the Toe Memorial as it was in its original state (see below).

The Toe Memorial, c. 1920...

I suspect that the scrap value of its intricate metal railings may have been a big factor behind its subsequent destruction. There is certainly no trace of them in the area now, whilst the carved stonework still lies sadly scattered around the remaining plinth.

Debretts Peerage tells us that the Arms of Bligh (the heraldic symbols of the Earls of Darnley) comprises of “Azure, a Griffin segreant Or, armes and langued Gules, between three Crescents Argent. Crest: A Griffin’s Head erased Or. Supporters: On either side a Griffin wings expanded Or, ducally collared and chained Azure.”

I don’t have a clue as to what any of that means, but the gryphon motif can be seen on one of the fallen stones, and features prominently above the entrance to the nearby Darnley Mausoleum, as shown below…

Headstone from memorial bearing the Darnley heraldic gryphon...

Heraldic Darnley gryphons above the Mausoleum entrance (N.B. Finem Respice: Consider The End)...

Perhaps one day the Toe Memorial will be restored to its former condition but for the moment, it remains one of Cuxton’s many hidden and intriguing gems.

References:

1)   Cuxton: A Kentish Village by Derek Church (published by Arthur J Cassell Ltd, 1976, ISBN 0 903253 12 7), p 18.

2)    "Memorial to Lord Darnley's Toe", Geoff Rambler's Weird and Wonderful Kent, blog post by Geoff Ettridge (link here).

3)   Lost Landscapes - Cuxton Heritage Trail (link here).

Vanished Cuxton - Warren House...

Tucked away on the hill on the western Cuxton parish boundary, just above the point where Bush Road becomes Warren Road, lies Warren House. Until quite recently this was the home of Abbeymount Kennels, but the kennels have now closed down. It is a pleasant, modern-looking house (see below), built in 2010, close to the site of a much older cottage that served as a gamekeepers lodge for workers tending the Darnley estate over the hill in nearby Cobham.

Warren House - as it is today...

The original building was a single storey flint cottage, with a steep thatched roof and a distinctive arched door and windows in the “Gothick” style. I am not sure exactly when it was built, but a census taken in 1841 shows that Warren House was then the residence of a Mr. Joseph Ricketts, gamekeeper. Warren House features on an 1869 Ordnance Survey map of the area (shown below) but not on an earlier (though rather crude) map of 1769, so it would be reasonable to assume that it was probably built in the early part of the 19^th century. 

Ordnance Survey map, revision 1869, showing Warren House...

A photograph taken in the early part of the 20^th century shows gamekeeper John Griffin and his young son, Ron, in front of the original cottage (see below).

Gamekeeper John Griffin and his son, Ron, outside Warren House, 1908...

The OS map of 1895 (see below) showed a phesantry to the rear of the cottage, where pheasants were reared for the Darnley estate shoot.

Ordnance Survey map, 1895 revision, showing Warren House...

Brood hens were used to hatch the pheasant eggs, hence the scene in the photograph below.

Warren House pheasantry, c 1912; L-R, Ron Griffin, John Griffin, Joe Cogger, Charlie Ashenden...

Dormer windows were added to the cottage in 1914 (see below) to give light to bedrooms in the roof, doubtless added to make a bit more room for the Griffin’s growing family.

Warren House, c 1920...

The Griffin family lived in the cottage until 1923, until a spark from the chimney set light to the thatched roof and the cottage burnt down. The Rochester Fire brigade attended but the cottage well had run dry and water had to be pumped from the forge down the lane. The Griffins stayed in Bush until the cottage was rebuilt, with the new cottage reconstructed much in the style of the old one, but with a tiled roof. The cottage well was back-filled in 1938, when mains water became available. 

A watercolour painting (held in the Victoria and Albert Museum) shows the cottage as it appeared in 1940 (see below).

 "Gamekeepers Cottage, The Warren House, Cuxton Valley", by George Hennell, c.1940...

The cottage looked much the same in 1971 (see below)...

Warren House, 1971...

The attractive flint walls appeared to have been rendered as part of the rebuilding work after the fire, but the "Gothick" arched windows and door were retained.

The kennels appear to have been given planning permission in 1995, and closed only recently.

By 2007, Warren House had been modernised and extended at the side and rear. Planning permission was sought in 2007 to build a 40% larger dwelling on the same plot just above the existing cottage, but was refused by Medway Council due to green belt considerations and the size of the proposed new cottage! 

Obviously, Medway Council's planners are far less concerned about the green belt these days, given that they have become passionate advocates for a 16,000 m2 (!) billionaire tax exile's vanity winery at Upper Bush!

After reducing the size of their proposed new bungalow, planning permission was granted to the applicants in late 2010. However, Medway Council's (now non-existent) determination to protect the green belt led to them to specify that the old Warren House had to be demolished, so that there could not be two dwellings on the site. 

Construction of the new Warren House in 2011: the original (on the right) was demolished shortly afterwards...

Despite opposition from Cuxton Parish Council, the cottage was demolished in 2011, and so Cuxton lost another of its few remaining historic buildings.

References:

1)    Cuxton: A Kentish Village by Derek Church (published by Arthur J Cassell Ltd, 1976, ISBN 0 903253 12 7), pp 76-77.

2)    Ordnance Survey Maps - Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952

3)    Victoria & Albert Museum collection

4)     Medway Council Planning portal decision notice