"Wanderings To Cantian Churches..."

St Michaels and All Angels, 2022...

Picking through some old newspapers online in Cuxton library, I came across an article in the Maidstone Journal, Rochester and Chatham Journal and Kentish Advertiser, from October 26th 1852. It relates to a journey made by two of its correspondents from London to Cuxton, to view St Michaels and All Angels church.

It provides a snapshot of Cuxton and Cuxton Church, about 15 years before the latter underwent a major renovation under the direction of the energetic Revered Robert William Shaw, who was Rector of St. Michaels from 1831 to 1874. The church nave itself was extended and many of the church artefacts moved or removed, all for better or worse.  

Watercolour of the south side of St. Michaels c.1850, prior to the 1867 extension of the nave and the 1936 addition of the vestry.

North side of St. Michaels, c.1801. The lowering of the porch and the cutting to it was made in the 1867 renovation. There used to be
steps down into the aisle.

I thought the article (or at least, most of it) is worth recounting here. I have provided explanatory or additional notes where I think they may be of use. 

“Wanderings To Cantian⁽¹⁾ Churches” 

BY A SCUIT, (Anglice,) A VAGABOND – (“Picts and Scots”.) 

CUXTON: 

“Wandering through the woods of the Priory of Lesnes (2) the other day, after vainly attempting to discover the long lost effigy alluded to by Dr. Stukeley (3) many a year ago, we resolved to visit Cuxton, where was situated one of the few manors erst the property of the poor abbot and chapter of Lesnes.”

Incontinently we hied to the British Museum to look into Hasted’s History of the County of Kent, after Cuxton, to ascertain the name of the manor (4). Without any difficulty we found Hasted, and Ireland’s piracy of Hasted, but not so easily in it the history of the parish of “Cuxton”; twice we searched the index under “Cu”, then we tried “Ku”, and two or three other variations of the appellation. As a matter of course, in the end, we gained the reward of merit deserved by our industry and on turning to the page we found a choice of names, not one of which over much resembles that in use at the present day.

Cookstone, Coclestane, Cucolanstan, Cuclestena, beside half a dozen more aliases in its orthography, very interesting, doubtless, to the curious in such matters. Some wild hankerers after wildering etymologies will seek in some ornithological specimen the root of “Cuckoo-stone” whilst others will appropriate the Domesday name of “Cuckhold-stone” to some miserable victim of conjugal infidelity; so far as we however are personally concerned we prefer asserting that the etymology of Cuxton and its innumerable aliases is of adulterated Celtic origin with a Saxonic filial...
(5)
…Having ascertained the above, and looked into Dugdals (6) and other big books we shut them up and putting on our hat very majestically, stalked out of the reading room, leaving the attendants to put the heavy volumes back into their proper places, for, they are paid to do it.

A penny omnibus soon took us to Holborn Bridge, and then a cab conveyed us to the North Kent Line, where we obtained a ticket for Strood. As everybody knows the dirty-den, by courtesy styled a station at Strood, we will say no more about it, than, that if possible, it is now dirtier than ever. Thence to Cuxton is a very pretty walk. (7)

At the entrance to the village there is a post office (8), a nice old house; a little farther off is a public house (9), close, of course, to the church; at the east end of the burying ground where our rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep, is a modern school-room (10). The key was in the possession of the post-master who, marvellous to say for any one connected with the Post Office establishment, is a very civil and obliging individual! From the clergyman too, we were offered every accommodation in our hurried glance at the sacred fane (11); the situation of which on the edge of a lofty hill, is very pleasant, sloping down to the meandering Medway.

Cuxton church consists of a nave, chancel, south mortuary chapel, at the south-western angle of which is the staircase to the rood loft (12), a two-storied embattled tower, and north porch. The east window is a three-light, with early English window, blocked up. The mortuary chapel was very probably built with the materials previously comprised in some Roman structure, for both tufa and squared stones from the Andernach quarries (13) are worked up. The east window of this chapel is a square-headed Tudor two-light. This chapel is now used as a baptistery, and it contains a Norman font (14). On the west side the stone steps to the rood loft are evident.

There are several monumental slabs to the Marshams, who formerly resided in this parish (15). Lord Romney still possesses property here. On the south side is a piscina (16) under the arch. Severing the chancel from this chapel is a tomb, with round the edge “Hic iacet Ihohannes Botyler, rector hvivs ecclesie qvi obiit vitimo die junil, anno D.M. 1568” (17) in hatched and oblated capitals. Upon the tomb is a brass (18), with the following inscription: 

[PRAY] FOR THE SOULE OF JOHN BUTTYLL, PARSON [OF THIS]
CHURCHE AND CHAPLAYNE TO THE HIGH AND NOBYLL
[PRI]NCE EDWARDE WHICH Mr JOHN DECEASED THE [  ]
OF [  ] ANNO DOMINI MV [UPON] WHOSE SOULE JESU PARDON

The effigy above it has been torn away, but in its place is a fine and particularly curious palimpsest brass, or rather, (which we believe to be an unique instance) a portion of two brasses (19) joined together, upon one is ..atic Steere, twice repeated. These two different mortuary materials, were adapted by the heirs of the wealthy, all of whose inscriptions are now left, we give herewith. 

PRAY FOR THE SOULE OF JOHN [TURNER] WOLPACKER OF LONDON
SOME[TIME OF] [ST.] KATHERINE OF CHRISTCHURCH WHO DIED [  ]
AUGUST ANNO DOMINI MDXLV ON WHOSE SOULE JESU HAVE MERCY

There is also a corbel now carrying a marble slab to “Thomas Swindon, Rector”. The chancel contains some inscriptions on slabs which we trust the clergyman will one day translate for us (20). An aumbry (21) on north side, square aumbry on south wall. Some encaustic tiles (22) decorate the floor under the rails. On the south side of the chancel, adjoining the rood screen (23) is a large pew, upon which is some nicely carved linen pauncing (24). A bench also has two poppy heads.

The windows on the south side of the nave are two light square headed, and a blocked up doorway to which is a stoup. The old roof still remains. At the west end there is a gallery. The porch stands on the north side. The statue which erst filled up the niche has long since gone; some strangely painted tins, probably of heraldic meaning, now do the decorating business in its stead; upon one is a swan, and on the other is a cock’s head. To each door is a stoup (25).

Notes:

(1)        “Cantian”: an archaic expression meaning “of Kent”

(2)        The “priory of Lesnes”, otherwise called Lesnes Abbey, a Grade II-listed ruined abbey in Abbey Wood, with a long and fascinating history of its own.

(3)        The Rev. William Stukeley, a renowned antiquarian, who undertook a study of the ruins of Lesnes Abbey in April 1753. His original paper can be found here.

(4)        The manor of “Beresse”, or Upper Bush as we call it today.

(5)        In the interests of focussing on the Cuxton church aspects of the article, I have omitted the account of the ancient ecclesiastical wranglings related to the ownership of the ancient manor of Beresse that ensued at this point, and which can be found in Hasted’s history (link to the online version here).

(6)        Sir William Dugdale, another noted antiquarian. A list of his extensive works can be found here.

(7)        The North Kent railway line through Cuxton was not built until 1853 with Cuxton station being opened in 1856, hence the “very pretty walk”.

(8)        The Old Post Office Row, details here.

(9)        The White Hart, of course. They may well have been talking about the original building, which burned down around the time of our correspondent’s jaunt and was rebuilt in 1860. We don’t have any images of the original pub as far as I know, but perhaps it may have looked like the Walnut Tree at Halling…

The Walnut Tree off-licence in 1930, but pretty much unchanged for 300 years at the time...

(10)      This was the original Cuxton school, which was built just to the south-east of the church in 1849 at the instigation of the “clergyman” noted here, the Reverend Robert William Shaw.

Robert William Shaw's school, next to the church (c. 1920). It was demolished in 1964..

(11)      “Fane”: an archaic expression meaning “shrine” or “church”.

(12)    The small stone staircase in the corner of the chancel is still there, although it is now blocked off as the gallery it leads to now opens on to thin air.  It seems that at the time of this account, the rood screen was still present. There is some debate over what function the lofts may have served. See (23).

(13)    It is thought that some of the stone used in the construction of Roman Villas in Kent may have been imported from the ancient Andernach quarries of Germany. Recovered Roman materials were undoubtedly used in the construction of the Norman part of the church, but the tufa limestone (evidenced in the quoin stones – cornerstones - that mark the original Norman exterior end of the chancel before it was extended in the 13th century), flints and Kentish ragstone seen today could all be sourced locally (and probably were).

A column of tufa quoin stones (to the right of the end window) mark the corner of the original Norman chancel. 

(14)   The Norman font was replaced by the current Victorian one as part of Rev. Robert Shaw’s church “restoration” of 1865. 

The account suggests that the font used to be located opposite the "mortuary chapel" (Lady Chapel) rather than at the south end of the eastern aisle adjacent to the tower as it is today. Fonts are traditionally placed near the main door of a church and this suggests that the nave door was perhaps once the main door. This may have been the case as the majority of worshippers probably came from Whornes Place until Victorian times and the subsequent expansion of the village.  

The base of the existing font is the original Norman one, but the original font itself was at one time dumped outside in the graveyard by Canon Colson’s memorial. I believe it is now in the church storeroom.

(15)      In his 1976 book, “Cuxton – a Kentish Village”, author Derek Church refers to the black marble ledger stones of the Marshams, noting their fine inscriptions (they are also mentioned in the Registrum Roffense). They are not visible in the chancel now as they have been carpeted over! Certainly some other ledger stones have been covered by the thoughtless location of the (Victorian – again!) church organ (as has the Harley memorial), but the organ was not installed until 1881, long after the visit of our two correspondents.

(16)      “Piscina”: a small basin, trough or sink set in the wall of a church used for the use and subsequent disposal of Holy Water or other consecrated liquids, and which drains (via a sacrarium) directly to ground, thus ensuring it is respectfully returned to earth rather than mixed with common drainage.

(17)      Translates from the Latin as: 

 + Here lies John Buttyll, Rector of this Church, who died on the last day of June 1568 A.D. + 

John Buttyll was at one time chaplain to John Fisher, Archbishop of Rochester (who was shamefully treated and subsequently executed by Henry VIII), and then subsequently to Edward VI. Buttyll is Cuxton’s longest-serving Rector to date, holding that office from 1522 until his death in 1568.

John Thorpe’s Registrum Roffense of 1769 tells us that the inscription on his altar tomb was around the “verge of the upper stone”. The tomb was moved from its position between the chancel and the Lady Chapel during the Rev. Shaw's Victorian “restoration” of St. Michaels during 1865-1868, and placed outside under the south-eastern chancel window. 

The altar tomb of John Buttyll, Rector of Cuxton, 1522-1568..

It was not given any protection from the elements and has now become so badly weather-worn that no trace of any inscriptions are visible.

The newspaper article is interesting for what it omits, as well as what it describes. For example, no mention is made of the Lady Harley memorial (latterly moved from the chancel to the Lady Chapel) nor of the tomb of Caleb Parfect (which was in the nave and was also removed as part of the Victorian “restoration”). 

The tomb of Caleb Parfect, Rector of Cuxton 1719-1770...

This tomb was subsequently placed in its current position outside in the southern graveyard opposite the south door of the nave (and has suffered the same subsequent weathering as that of the tomb of John Buttyll).

These two striking monuments would have certainly have been seen by our two intrepid Victorian correspondents, but why they were not considered worthy of mention in their subsequent account is a puzzle.

(18)      This brass and the one described later were both on display on the wall of the south aisle until 1995, when they were (wisely) taken down and sent to Rochester Guildhall Museum for safe-keeping (along with a framed description of the two palimpsests written by the Rev. Charles Rae in 1955). They are not on public display but the helpful folk at the museum found them, got them out of storage for me and let me photograph them a few months back…

Brass palimpsest from the tomb of John Buttyll (actual size ex frame = 40 x 9 cm)...

The date of Buttyll’s death was not filled in, suggesting that the brass was prepared beforehand. Both these palimpsests were damaged even at the time of the visit described above, but the full text of each is given in the 2011 Kent Archaeological Society review of the memorials at St. Michaels (and which I used to fill in the blanks in the original account above):

The Rev, Rae's description of the two brasses that used to accompany them... 

(19)      The John Turner palimpsest...

Actual size of the brass itself (without frame) is 28 x 12.5 cm...

(20)      The marble plaque in memory to Thomas Swindon was put up by a grieving father who had lost three young sons. It is now hidden by the organ. The Latin inscription is quoted in full in John Thorpe’s Registrum Roffense of 1769 and translated, reads:

"SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THOMAS

SON OF TOBIAS SWINDEN M.A./AND RECTOR OF THIS CHURCH

A CHILD OF BEAUTIFUL FORM/NATURE AND CHARACTER

DIED AUGUST 30th A.D.1700

AGED 7 YEARS

AND IS HERE BURIED WITH HIS/LITTLE BROTHERS/CLEMENT AND JOHN

WHO FROM HIS BIRTH SHED FORTH/SO MANY RAYS OF LIGHT OF A

NATURE SO BEAUTIFUL THAT/AT LENGTH HE WAS PROMOTED

TO THE HIGHEST LIGHT/HASTENING DEATH SNATCHED HIM

IN HIS YOUTHFUL DAYS AND/COVETING HIS VIRTUES BELIEVED

HIM TO BE A MAN"

Wall monument to the memory of Tobias Swindon...

This poignant memorial says much about the infant mortality rate at the time.

(21)      “Aumbry”: an ecclesiastical word for “cupboard”…

(22)      Encaustic tiles are a type of coloured tile where the pattern forms an integral part of the “baked in” fabric of the tile and so cannot be worn off.  Such patterned tiles cannot be seen under the chancel rails now.

The altar, set for harvest festival in 1958. Note what were perhaps the "encaustic"
tiles on the floor, which is now boarded and carpeted over...

(23)      A rood screen is typically a carved wooden screen that separates the chancel from the nave. At St. Michaels, the rood screen was moved and put across the tower arch. The associated loft was lost.

(24)      Me neither…

(25)      A stoup is a vessel for Holy Water, usually placed by the entrance to a church, often in a small alcove next to a door. It used to be the custom to cleanse your fingers in Holy Water before “crossing yourself”. There is still such an alcove by the north door, now used as a home for the first aid box...

Ancient Cuxton: the Iron Age and the Romans...

Following on from an earlier post...

In around 800 BC, the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age and the Cuxton area continued to be a place where people lived. In particular, discoveries from an archaeological investigation undertaken in 1997 as part of the construction of the Medway bridge section of the Channel Tunnel rail link shows continuous human occupation from the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age right up until at least around mid Anglo-Saxon times (around 650 AD) (1).

What the Iron Age encampment at Cuxton in 400 BC may have looked like...

Iron Age encampments comprised of fenced enclosures protecting a number of wooden dwelling huts. The Cuxton rail link discoveries included post-holes and pits, evidence of just such an Iron Age encampment above the River Medway just to the south of where the M2 bridge is today. These, along with related pottery finds, date the Cuxton Iron Age settlement at around 400 BC.

Iron Age coins dating from around 150 BC have also been found at Ranscombe reserve, of a currency issued by the ruling Cantiaci Kentish Kings of the time...

Example of late Iron Age coinage found at Ranscombe. One side depicts a stylised head of Apollo, the other an equally abstract bull...

In 43 AD, the Romans invaded Britain. The Kentish Iron Age tribes that were ruled by the four Kings of the Cantiaci united under the command of Togodumnus and his brother Caratacus of the Catuvellauni tribe, who ruled over a swathe of land to the north of the Thames. 

They fought the advancing Roman army at the Battle of the Medway, spearheaded by Legio II Augusta under Vespasian (under the overall command of Titus Flavius Sabinus) who, in a daring move, crossed the river at Burham. The Kentish defenders were caught unawares by the fully-armed legionaries that swam across the river and although they fought for three days, they were eventually defeated and fell back across the Thames in an attempt to defend what was feted to become the Roman city of Londinium.

Roman remains have been found extensively across Cuxton. In 1860, the White Hart was completely rebuilt following a fire that destroyed the original inn. Roman pottery was found during the work, comprising of red lustrous ware vessels that probably belonged to a sepulchral interment. One cup had the potter's name MATERNVS stamped on the bottom. The vessels were originally sent to Cobham Hall but have long since been lost.

In the Church graveyard it is not unusual, even today, to dig down and find remains of Roman tiles and masonry. Some of these materials have even been incorporated into the structure of the original Norman church... 

Clay tiles found during a grave dig in the north-east corner of the graveyard...

Materials excavated from the same grave as above (c. 1963, picture by Derek Church)...

One story (probably apocryphal) relates the tale of Sir William St. John Hope, a distinguished antiquarian and architectural historian, whose wife and son are buried in Cuxton churchyard. Sir William is said to have noticed Roman foundations in his wife's grave at her funeral and promptly halted the ceremony, jumping into the grave to examine the archaeological remains!

As a result of such finds, it has long been supposed that there was a Roman villa predating the site of the church, (perhaps of a similar nature to the one discovered in nearby Eccles) but this has never actually been proven. However, it does seem feasible that the Church could well have been built on the foundations of some sort of Roman structure, which may have been a Roman villa or Roman temple. Such a building may have perhaps even been a Christian place of worship, as Christianity was certainly present in Roman Britain from at least the third century AD until the end of the Roman imperial administration in the early fifth century.

The pre-existence of a Roman building that subsequently served as a foundation for the existing church could perhaps account for the atypical orientation of St. Michaels and All Angels. Most English Christian churches are aligned east to west, but the axis of Cuxton Church is south-east to north-west, seemingly more aligned with the path of the River Medway than the points of the compass. Indeed, a famous piece of old doggerel declares: 

“ ....If you would see a church miswent
Then you must go to Cuxton in Kent….”

Perhaps the most mysterious of the Roman remains found in Cuxton were those of a young Romano-British woman. In 1951, a Mr. H. H. Martin, resident of a bungalow called “Wayside” (on the Rochester Road opposite the Rectory) was digging a small trench just outside his front garden when he discovered two small clay pots. They were subsequently identified as being of Roman origin, of a type of funereal urn dating from around 50-100 AD. (2)

These finds prompted a further investigation by the Kent Archaeological Association in 1962, which led to the discovery of a skeleton, subsequently shown to be the remains of a woman aged about twenty, whose height was approximately 4 ft. 10 in. – and who was promptly christened “Jemina”.

The discovery of "Jemima"...

"Jemina" (1962, pictures by Derek Church)...

Strikingly, the corpse had apparently been decapitated at time of burial and the head placed between its knees. Antiquarian Mr. T. C. Lethbridge, F.S.A., has suggested that the decapitation was probably a post-mortem ritual intended to prevent the dead person's ghost 'walking'. Some “abnormality of character” (possibly related to a diseased physical condition not apparent in the surviving bones) may have caused fear that the deceased's spirit might return to plague the living. Mr. Lethbridge had previously found a number of similar decapitations in Romano-British cemeteries in the Cambridge region.

Once the investigation had been completed, I am told that Jemina’s remains were placed in a metal box and quietly laid to rest, unmarked, in the church graveyard.

References: 

1)    Channel Tunnel Rail Link Union Railways (South) Ltd, Project Area 350, Cuxton Anglo-Saxon Cemetery, Archaeological Excavation Interim Report, (Museum of London Archaeology Service, September 1999 – link here).

2)   Kent Archaeological Society paper “Researches and Discoveries in Kent”, 1964, pp. 181-182 and Plate V, by P.J. Tester 

Forge Cottage...

Walking northwards down Forge Lane from Upper Bush brings you out on to Bush Road, more or less opposite Forge Cottage... 

Forge Cottage, August 2021...

Exactly when the forge and associated cottage at Lower Bush was built is not certain, but the building is certainly several hundred years old. What we do know is that in 1503, a bequest by a Mr. John Absolom stated: 

“A parcel of garden for which I have assigned to the whole Parish of Cuxton there upon to build a Forge with 7 years next after my dissese…”.

The "Smithy" and its surrounding area, as shown on an 1869 OS map...

It would therefore not be unreasonable to assume that the forge was built sometime between then and around 1550. In the second half of the eighteenth century, it was ran by a Mr. Summers. His nephew, Robert Young Clifton, replaced him in the 1830s, and he was succeeded by William Clifton, who worked the forge until 1905 when his son Robert took over the business...

Forge Cottage, c.1910...

This rather famous old photo (taken by Percy Chalklen and sold as a postcard from Daniel Chalklen's post office) shows Robert Clifton, the blacksmith, and Len Smith, his Striker, standing outside of the forge. Archie (born in 1905) and Tim, Mr. Clifton’s sons, also feature. 

In his book "Cuxton - a Kentish Village", Derek Church recounts a story told to him by Archie Clifton relating to a rather unusual use of Forge Cottage. 

Apparently, a young man from Bush by the name of Guy Penfold was hit on the head by a ball while playing cricket on the green. Archie's mother was called to help but found the boy dead. When a doctor subsequently arrived, he said an inquest was necessary. The local constable arranged for this to be held in the front room of Forge Cottage and Archie's father, Robert, was the foreman of the jury gathered from local residents by the constable... 

Detail from above: the sign is an advert for "The People" newspaper...

The Clifton family were associated with the forge until 1932, an involvement stretching back over 150 years. When the Cliftons left, it was taken over by a Mr. Fisher, who lived at Whornes Place and used the forge as a motor engineering shop for a while.

Forge Cottage, 1950...

The Forge, 1950...

The forge block as pictured above in 1950, which by then had fallen into disuse...

The disused hearth and bellows, 1971...

Forge Cottage, 1972...

The forge block was eventually replaced by an extension to the cottage. Forge Cottage was Grade II listed in 1986. 

The cottage grounds are now home to the Lower Bush Alpacas. 

Lower Bush: Past, Present (And Future...?)

Today, I took a walk through Mays Wood and down past the east of Dean Farm... 

Dean Farm, view from the east side...

Fortunately this valley has not been taken over by the adjacent vineyard and remains unspoiled - though it has had its own share of upheaval in the past...

Walking down Tomlins Lane at the back of Dean Farm brings you out by the eastern edge of what used to be called "Pig Field" at Lower Bush. This is now owned by the vineyard and has been partly planted with vines...

No "please" or "thank you"... but at least it's not "Keep Out!... 

By the way, I am sure that folk in Cuxton and the surrounding area will be delighted to know that this "Livestock Grazing" is being funded by a £350,000 hand-out to Vineyard Farms from National Highways. Once upon a time, the rich landowners of Cuxton used to pay a tithe to the church so that the less well-off in the parish could be provided for. Nowadays, things are very much the other way around it seems: tax-payer's money is now used to subsidise a private estate owned by a billionaire tax-exile. 

Vineyard Farms even get to buy an ATV with their public cash windfall. Their boy racers will be so pleased.

Along the edge of Pig Field adjacent to Tomlins Lane, there were at least a dozen or so Broad-Leaved Helleborine orchids in bloom...

Broad-Leaved Helleborine...

Broad-leaved Helleborines...

View of Upper Bush from the top of Pig Field...

Same outlook (roughly) as above, 1972...

Fifty years ago, the woodland plantation between Barrow Hill and Pig Field didn't seem to be as extensive or overgrown as it is today - and nor, of course, did we have the vines. The view above seems to be from slightly further south than I could manage, given the extent of the woods today...

Same view as above, c. 1910...

Pig Field in 1910 was home to a hop garden, the output of which would doubtless have been dried in the oast houses at Upper Bush (long since demolished in the 1950s)...

Upper Bush farmhouse, demolished in the 60s, used to be opposite where the existing farm buildings are today. The tops of the oast houses can be seen on the left...

View towards Cuxton from where the North Downs Way passes by the northern end of the vines...

The warm, wet summer bodes well for the grape harvest...

View looking west from where the North Downs Way crosses Bush Road...

View south-west across Pig Field from Bush Road...

Towards Bush Road from the north-eastern corner of the Pig Field vines...

As above, looking westwards across Bush Road...

View of Forge Cottage, the North Downs B&B and (what used to be) Brick House Farm...

The same view from the North Downs Way, as above, 1972...

Barn conversions, Bush Road...

As above, 1972, before conversion...

As can be seen from the pictures above, Lower Bush has been, and still is, a relatively peaceful and unspoiled place. That could well be about to change.  Many folk have wondered why the strip of land between the North Downs Way and Tomlins Lane has been left weed-strewn and neglected, rather than planted out with vines.  It has been left for Vineyard Farms' Plan B...

The proposed Vineyard Farms Plan B winery...

During the planning inquiry back in March, it became apparent that Vineyard Farms had not really thought too hard about what they would do if they were not granted planning permission for their billionaire-backed £30m vinicultural pleasure dome. It seems as if they thought that their Lord Foster Xanadu was so wonderful and iconic that it would just sail through the planning process. Well, it didn't.

That has left them in a awkward predicament, with the output of 700 acres of vines to process, but with nowhere to do it. Perhaps a less cocksure company might have sorted that out before they planted the vines, but hey...

During the inquiry, a "Proof Of Evidence" package (which seemed to me to have been rather hastily prepared) was introduced, stating what VF would do if they didn't get the planning permission they wanted. As an observer, it seemed to me like a bunch of veiled threats, and ones which were irrelevant to the inquiry (which was surely supposed to be about the proposed Upper Bush winery, not what would happen if it didn't get granted). 

"Approve our plans, or we'll build a load of huge agricultural tins sheds, right next to Bush Road and overshadowing resident's houses. We could build them much further back from the road to avoid that, but no, we aren't going to."

"Oh, and we'll bring all of our farm traffic down Bush Road rather than over our fields, just because we can. And we won't bother composting our grape wastes, because we'd much rather add to the traffic by getting lorries to come and take it away..."

Bush Road, with the entrance to Tomlins Lane on the left...

Same view as above, showing what the winery sheds would look like in situ...

All of this can be done under "permitted development rights", which allows agricultural buildings to be built without planning permission, provided they do not exceed 1000 sq.m. in floor area or 12m in height... 

View looking east from the junction of the North Downs Way with Bush Road...

As above, with VF's proposed sheds...

However, "permitted development" only allows the building of one such shed every two years. If they stick to their plans (and the law doesn't change), it'll take them nearly 20 years to get what they want...

The Bush Road houses that are threatened by the VF sheds...

Vineyard Farms have six weeks to lodge a High Court appeal against the Planning Inspectorate's refusal. That expires on September 5th. It could take up to 18 months for the appeal to be heard, and then up to another year to hold a second inquiry and reassess the application. And the chances of success are not high - only about 35% of planning appeals that get to the High Court are successful. Only about 1 in 200 complainants actually bother....

...and all the while, the precious grapes need harvesting and processing...

I don't seriously think VF will go for the "full set of sheds" option. I believe they are too hubristic to back down, and that they will appeal against the Planning Inspector's refusal of their vainglorious palace. And if that fails, we will see a cut-down version of the Foster design for Barrow Hill put forward, something that may satisfy the objections of the Inspector.

VF are too in love with their dreams to ever let go...

Common Blue butterflies in Pig Field (female on the right)....