A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical restrictions, such as coastlines, mountains, hills or valleys. Linear settlements may have no obvious centre.
26-563: Meopham / ˈ m ɛ p əm / is a large linear village and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham in north-west Kent , England , lying to the south of Gravesend . The parish covers 6.5 square miles (17 km), and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it had a population of 6,795 at the 2021 census. Meopham village is sometimes described as the longest settlement in England although others such as Brinkworth which
52-558: A millwright from Strood , in 1801. After his death in 1823, it passed to his wife Sukey, then to his son James, and after to his grandson Thomas who died in 1891. The Killicks lived in Strood where the family also owned mills and were reputed to walk the eight miles to Meopham each day. The mill worked by wind until 1929 and then by engine until 1965. It has been fully restored and is now in full working order. There are two Church of England parish churches (now combined into one benefice ):
78-459: A simplistic understanding of the process of urban growth and ignoring the human factor in design , resulting in inefficiency and limited growth potential. Singlewell or Ifield Singlewell or Ifield is an area south of Gravesend , in the Gravesham district, in the county of Kent , England. Originally two separate settlements on either side of Watling Street , it is now separated by
104-406: A specialist sports academy, and this is where Meopham Library is situated too; there are two primary schools: Meopham Community Academy (formerly Meopham Community Primary School) and Culverstone Green Primary School. Gravesend Grammar School is within the borough , and nearby are fee-paying schools, such as Cobham Hall School , and King's School , Rochester . The main road through the village,
130-752: A through-route connecting North Kent with the M20 motorway at the foot of the North Downs , although this now has been somewhat relieved by the M25 . Historically, the parish of Meopham was in the Hundred of Toltingtrough . The parish comprises the main village, divided into four named settlements; the outlying village of Harvel ( approx 2 miles south-east); and two other settlements: Dodmore (still comprising mostly rural land from The Street southeastwards for approx 1 mile towards Harvel ) and Culverstone (approx 1.5 miles to
156-495: Is by far the largest remaining village green in the parish. The main road passes to the west; around the other two sides are buildings, many of which are of 18th- and 19th-century origin. Here are two public houses : the King's Arms ; and The Cricketers' Inn , previously The Long Hop . Just to the north of the Green is Meopham Vineyard . Meopham Green is home to a cricket pitch , where
182-484: Is described as a unique development, which in its origins was the result of the sale of plots of land in the 1930s. Originally, chalets, shacks and caravans were built on the plots. Since then unauthorised developments, often extending the original buildings, have taken place in an area which is now Green Belt . Poor access and limited facilities such as proper drainage has led Gravesham Borough Council to take action by curbing this trend. The other two main settlements in
208-425: Is notable for its 9 km long, single main street and its thin strips of farm land, inhabited by 6000 people. Linear designs have also been proposed for new city and district development projects, such as Arturo Soria y Mata 's linear city , Michael Graves and Peter Eisenman 's linear city , Madrid 's Ciudad Lineal district, and Saudi Arabia 's The Line . Such designs have been criticized as expressing
234-571: Is one of the highest points in Gravesham, including Marling Cross, which forms the junction at Gravesend East on the A2, which is the highest point in the Borough. The name Singlewell , originally Shinglewell – and not therefore referring to it having the only well in the district – and its eponymous ancient well with ancient origins has now come to mean the area now part of the built-up area of Gravesend. The well
260-467: Is one village make the same claim. Meopham is one of the longest linear settlements in Europe, being 7 miles (11 km) in length. The name of the village derives from Meapaham (Meapa's village): it is first recorded in 788, in the reign of King Offa . The modern pronunciation of the name comes from different ways of writing and spelling. Benedictine monks established a priory hospital at Meopham in
286-551: Is still the Courtroom Bar , the room in which the court baron of the manor was held. Donald Adamson , the present lord of the manor of Dodmore, owns the Tudor manor house . The family of the cricketer Thomas Nordish worked Dodmore Manor Farm. In the late 20th century Ifield CC relocated to within Dodmore's ancient manorial boundaries, becoming New Ifield CC . Meopham Green
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#1732859380754312-473: Is the oldest of the village's settlements, where parts of the medieval manorial mansion of Dodmore stand, although the original structure was badly damaged in an earthquake of 1382: it is close to the 14th-century church , the parish church of St John the Baptist. In addition, there are many other historic buildings, including The George Inn , where the manorial court of Dodmore once sat. At The George Inn there
338-567: The A2 road and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and bears little resemblance to its past. Singlewell Road leads from Gravesend town southwards to the A2, linking with Hever Court Road just to the north of the former site of the A2. The A2 was moved to the South in the 2000s, allowing a widening from three to four lanes in each direction. The carriageways were then turned into a parkland area. Singlewell
364-720: The A227 , carries a large amount of traffic. It first became a main road under the Turnpike Acts in 1825, when it was designed to connect Gravesend with Wrotham . Meopham Railway Station , at the north end of the village, is on the Chatham Main Line which runs to Victoria Station in London . Ebbsfleet International Station is under 8 miles (13 km) away, but is only accessible to passengers via Gravesend . Famous residents have included: In Meopham Church are memorial tablets to
390-496: The grade I listed parish church of St John the Baptist , Meopham and Nurstead' s 14th-century church of St Mildred . Other churches include Mount Zion Baptist Church built in 1828 and nearby Meopham Green, South Street Baptist Church, to the north of Culverstone and the Roman Catholic Church of St Paul , consecrated in 1965. There are three state schools in the village: the secondary Meopham School has developed as
416-479: The 12th century and throughout the Middle Ages three medieval manor houses - those of Meopham, Dodmore and Nurstead - governed the land now encompassing the parish. Edward Hasted in 1797 described the village as being "out of the way" and with "no well frequented thoroughfare through it". Since the 1920s, when the road numbering scheme started, the main road through the village, the A227 , has become busier as
442-611: The Hundred of Toltingtrough , then Strood Rural District from 1894 and was abolished on 1 April 1935, split between Cobham and Gravesend, in the Municipal Borough of Gravesend . In 1931 the parish had a population of 114. The George Inn is also in Hever Court Road: it was a favourite establishment of Gravesend residents in the 19th century, being within walking distance from the town; not too different from today, although there
468-606: The Victorian courtiers, Sir Sydney Waterlow Bt (1822–1906) and Sir Fleetwood Edwards (1842–1910), and to the Smith-Masters family , lords of the manor of Dodmore . Residents in more recent times include: Current residents are: The Arnold family were seated at Meopham Court, where author and publisher Ralph Arnold (1906–1970) was born. The Arnold family included eight-times Mayor of Gravesend and County Alderman George Matthew Arnold, JP DL FSA , whose relatives include
494-486: The main road, and down Whitepost Lane to the east, are both older and modern houses; a small supermarket; and a petrol station. A notable local house is "Lacknut House" (1832-1843) named after the area of land "Lacknuts" which was used as a fruit farm and is located directly opposite Culverstone Green. There is a considerably built-up area between the main road and Harvel. This is known as Culverstone Valley : it covers some 250 acres (100 ha) and lies among woodlands. It
520-648: The original main street. Places such as Southport , England developed in this way. A linear settlement is in contrast with ribbon development , which is the outward spread of an existing town along a main street , and with a nucleated settlement , which is a group of buildings clustered around a central point. Particular types of linear settlements are linear village , chain village , street village ( Polish : ulicówka ; German : Straßendorf , Lithuanian : gatvinis kaimas , French : village-rue ), and some others. Different countries have varying classifications of linear settlements. Sułoszowa , Poland,
546-426: The parish are Nurstead (until 1935 a separate civil parish), where Nurstead Court is located next to the parish church, with former estate workers' cottages nearby; and Camer , once home to the family of Smith-Masters , with a few cottages near Camer Park. The village lies on the dip slope of the North Downs , 480 feet (150 m) above sea level at its highest. The windmill was built by James Killick,
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#1732859380754572-457: The parish; only three remain today. Hook Green is the most northerly of the settlements. Originally called Hoo Green , it lies around a small triangular village green to the west of the main road. There are again many listed buildings in the area, including the Weavers Cottage . More modern developments are situated near to Meopham Railway Station to the north. The Street ( Dodmore )
598-514: The solicitor George Arnold of Milton Hall , Kent , Sir Arthur Arnold and Sir Edwin Arnold . Linear village In the case of settlements built along a route, the route predated the settlement, and then the settlement grew along the transport route. Often, it is only a single street with houses on either side of the road. Mileham , Norfolk, England is an example of this pattern. Later development may add side turnings and districts away from
624-415: The south). The Parish Council, which now owns the lordship of the manor of Meopham, meets at Meopham Windmill and consists of twelve members ( aka joint trustees of the ancient manor). From the north along the main A227 , the four settlements are Hook Green; The Street ( Dodmore ); Meopham Green; and Culverstone. The first three contain conservation areas . There were originally seven village greens in
650-464: The sport has been played every summer since at least 1776, and which is one of Kent 's idyllic settings for the game; the former prime minister , Sir John Major , is a patron of Meopham Cricket Club where he stood on a soapbox during the 1992 general election campaign. Meopham Windmill is nearby. Culverstone Green is the most southerly of the main village settlements. The original village green has mostly been given up to road widening. On
676-506: Was filled in during World War I . The original Watling Street is now Hever Court Road and the nearby estate named after it was built in 1957. Hever Court itself was the original home of the medieval family who moved to Hever, Kent in 1331. Hever Court eventually became derelict and was demolished in 1952. Ifield , once a large rural parish, is now a few houses south of the main road, and the tiny church of St Margaret, with Norman architecture included in its walls. The parish formed part of
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