Ditton is a large village and civil parish in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. The village is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) west-northwest of Maidstone and 1.8 miles (2.9 km) east of West Malling. The parish, which is long and narrow, straddles the A20 (the old Dover to London road), with farmland to the south and industry to the north. It lies in the Medway Valley, on the northern edge of the Kent Weald, and adjoins the ancient parishes of Larkfield, Aylesford and Barming.

Quick Facts Population, OS grid reference ...

Ditton
Ditton Village Sign
Ditton Location within Kent
Population	4,786 (2011)
OS grid reference	TQ 71038 58464
• London	31 mi (50 km) WNN
Civil parish	Ditton
District	Tonbridge and Malling
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Aylesford
Postcode district	ME20
Dialling code	01732
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Chatham and Aylesford
List of places UK England Kent 51.294850°N 0.451900°E / 51.294850; 0.451900

Close

The origins of the village can be traced to the stream which runs through the parish and gave rise to many corn mills along its length. The earliest recorded mention of the village is in the Domesday Book of 1086. The village contains a number of listed buildings, which include a 12th-century church, an old mill house, and two oast houses.

More recently, ragstone and newsprint industries have developed and become essential sources of local employment. The population of the village snowballed with the overspill of housing from the nearby town of Maidstone. Today Ditton has a mixed agricultural and industrial economy, with a wide range of social and leisure facilities. In 2001 it had a population of 4,786.

The name Ditton comes from the Saxon "Dictune" meaning the village situated on the dike, or trench of water. This derives from the Bradbourne Stream which rises near East Malling and passes through the village.^[1] The stream supplied the now defunct Aylesford Newsprint site, once the largest paper recycling factory in Europe, with part of its water supply.^[2]

Evidence of the early occupation of Ditton is scant. A Mesolithic tranchet axe, a sharpening flake, three microliths and 36 blades were found at Ditton, but the exact site of the find is now unknown.^[3] Mesolithic flint implements, Iron Age pottery and pit dwellings have also been reported in the Holt Hill area of Ditton.^[4]

An Anglo-Saxon spearhead was found in July 1962 by D. Tamkin in cutting through a natural knoll of sand on Messrs Reed's playing fields at Cobdown, Ditton. It is possible that the spearhead came from a grave on the top of the knoll, destroyed during the making or widening of the cutting.^[5] The first recorded mention of Ditton is in the Domesday Book, with an entry dated 1086. At that time the village had 31 dwellings.^[6] The Domesday Book states: "Haimo the sheriff holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Dictune. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there are two, and 20 villeins, with five borderers, having three carucates. There is a church and six servants, and one mill of 10 shillings, and eight acres of meadow, and 35 acres of pasture. Wood for the pannage of six hogs. In the time of King Edward the Confessor, it was worth 8 pounds, when he received it 100 shillings, now 8 pounds. Sbern held it of King Edward."^[1]

There was another estate (manor) in the parish at that time called Sifletone, which also belonged to the Bishop of Baieux (Bayeux), and was entered into the Domesday Book: "Vitalis holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Sifletone. It was taxed at three yokes. The arable land is one carucate. In demesne, there is one carucate and a half, and six villeins, with one borderer, having half a carucate. There are six servants, and one mill of 10s. There are ten acres of meadow and thirty acres of pasture. In the time of the Confessor, it was worth 40 shillings when he received it four pounds, now 100 shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, two men, Leuuin and Uluuin, held this land in coparcenary, and could turn themselves over with this land to whomever they would."^[1]

Thus there were three manors within the parish; Ditton Manor, with the appendant Brampton Manor, and Sifletone, all of which were owned by the Bishop of Bayeux at this time. The Bishop of Bayeaux was Odo, Earl of Kent, half brother of William the Conqueror. In 1082, after it was discovered that Odo planned a military expedition to Italy, he was imprisoned, and his estates (including Ditton, Brampton, and Sifletone) were confiscated to the Crown.^[7][8] Following this, Ditton Manor appears to have been held by the Clares, earls of Gloucester, by a family who assumed their surname from Ditton. Likewise, Sifletone was confiscated and went to another family who took their surname from it.^[1]

Ditton has a ford^[9] which, along with St Peter's Ad Vincula's Church, is situated in a conservation area on the west of a large green. The church is dated to the 12th century with a later 14th-century tower, and the first bell of Ditton church was hung there in 1656. Ditton parish register has as its opening words, "The Register book of Ditton beginning Anno Dom. 1663. William Jole, rector, inducted Rector of Ditton, 1st August, Anno Dom. 1663." Also at the commencement, it is recorded, on 1 August 1711, that every acre of woodland in the parish of Ditton by immemorial custom pays tithe to the rector.^[10] In 1798 Ditton was recorded as being within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rochester, and deanery of Malling. This parish, among others, was obliged to contribute to the repair of the fifth pier of Rochester bridge.^[1] The church was restored in 1860 by Sir George Gilbert Scott.^[11]

The north nave window has fragments of fourteenth-century glass, and the nave has a good selection of hanging wall monuments and a benefactions board. A lead plaque on the nave wall, removed from the tower roof in 1859, has a picture of a ship from Nelson's time scratched on it.^[12] The mill that was recorded in the Domesday Book, Church Mill, was located close to the ford and closed down around 1912.^[13]

In 1798 the parish was described in the following terms: "The high road from London, through Wrotham, to Maidstone, crosses the middle of it, at the thirty-first milestone; the village stands on it, and the church about a quarter of a mile further southward, on an ascent, beyond which, the parish reaches into the large tract of coppice woods, which extends as far as Teston and Barming. The stream from Bradborne Park runs through this parish and village, across the above road, and having turned two mills, one above and the other below it, runs on to the River Medway, which is the northern boundary of this parish, near the north-west extremity of which, on the road leading from Larkfield to Newhith, and not far distant from that hamlet and the river, is Borough Court. This parish is rather an obscure place, and has nothing further worthy of notice in it."^[1]

The three manors (estates) of Ditton, Brampton, and Sifletone were back in common ownership in the reign of Henry VII, when they belonged to "Thomas Leigh of Sibton in Liminge".^[1] The subsequent history of the manors is as follows:

The manor of Ditton included a mansion called Ditton Place, not to be confused with Ditton Court. Ditton Place was built in the late 16th century by the Brewer family and stood on the site now occupied by Troutbeck House.^[14] It remained in the Brewer family until 1701 when, by default of mortgage,^[15] it came into the possession of Thomas Golding of Leybourne Castle who, in 1703, served as Sheriff of Kent. He bequeathed Ditton Place to his nephew, Thomas Golding of Ryarsh, who sold it to John Brewer, a prominent lawyer and member of parliament. John Brewer's daughter,^[16] Mrs Carney of West Farleigh, re-conveyed the house back to Thomas Golding again in about 1735. His son, John Golding, inherited it in 1769.^[1] There is a reference in Organa Britannica to an organ built by renowned organ builder John Avery^[17] which was moved in the late 18th century from West Malling Parish Church to a recess in the hall of Ditton Place, described as the manor house of the area and owned by the Golding family.^[18] John Golding's son, also called John, was the last of his family to reside there. He died at Ditton Place in 1856, whereafter it was purchased by Septimus Maitland, a former plantation owner from Jamaica, who substantially remodelled the house around 1860. In 1876, it was purchased from Maitland by the Rev. John Young Stratton, a prominent campaigner against rural poverty, and Rector of Ditton for 48 years. Ditton Place was destroyed by arson in 1987.^[19] Today, Troutbeck House lies at the centre of a modern housing estate. One of the roads of the estate takes its name from the original house.

Ditton Court was located just to the west of St Peter's Church. Court is a term used widely in Kent in place of Manor. Ditton Court was the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Ditton, but over the centuries most holders of the manor were possessed of landholdings elsewhere and held Ditton in absentia. When the lord was in attendance, it was often to preside over the manorial court, which decided local issues relating to land tenure, services owed to the lord by his tenants, and even petty crime. Ditton Court was demolished in 1972 to make way for a modern housing development that bears its name.^[20]

Brampton Manor probably stood on the site of the New Road Industrial Estate. After the manor was destroyed the site was known as Brampton Field, at least until the 18th century, and indeed one of the streets of the housing estate which covers the site today is named Brampton Field.^[21]

Sifflington Manor (Sifletone) was an estate within Ditton parish and appeared to have been incorporated into Ditton Manor at some stage before the 19th century.^[1]

A manor house, Borough Court (also known as Brooke Court), stood in the northernmost part of the parish; though it no longer exists it probably stood in the vicinity of the modern Aylesford Newsprint site. The Culpepper family of Aylesford owned the house during the reign of King Edward III (1327–1377). The High Sheriff of Kent in 1426–27, Walter Culpeper, was the owner until the house devolved onto his heirs, eventually passing to Richard Culpeper (later Sir Richard Culpepper) who also owned the manor house at Oxon Hoath. Sir Richard Culpepper died in 1484 without issue, and the house was divided amongst his three daughters, one of whom was Joyce Culpeper—whose daughter was Catherine Howard and would become the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. The house was then sold to Francis Shakerly who hailed from Shakerly, Kent.^[22]

This history of Ditton has, in part, been shaped by the availability of natural resources in the area, especially water, soil, and rocks. Its position concerning transport links with London, notably the main roads and railways which tend towards the capital city, has also contributed to the village's development. Nowadays the parish is characterised by industrial units to the north, the middle by residential estates, and the south by fields and woodland.^[14][60]

The parish of Ditton lies in the Medway valley and borders the River Medway to the north and the Weald to the south. The Medway is Kent's principal river and rises near East Grinstead in Sussex, flowing eastwards to Maidstone. After passing Ditton parish, it turns north and cuts through the North Downs at Rochester, joining the estuary of the River Thames as its final tributary near Sheerness. The Medway is some 112 kilometres (70 mi) long.^[61][62]

The availability of water to transport products and raw materials, and as a resource used in the manufacture of paper, was essential to the historical development of paper mills in the area. Bradbourne stream, which meanders through the parish in a south-east to north-west direction, rises in East Malling, crosses under the A20 road and M20 motorway, and joins the river Medway near the Aylesford Newsprint site. Historically the availability of running water was essential to the early settlements that grew up in Kent, and to the establishment of industries in the area; such as providing power to drive the mills which ground grain.^[63]

Ditton is situated between the Lower Weald and the Chalk (North) Downs. The parish encompasses the Lower Greensand strata, where a formation of hard sandy limestone known as the Hythe Beds is abundant. From this formation ragstone is obtained.^[64] Kentish ragstone was a historically important building material in southeast England. The Romans used ragstone in the construction of London and villas in the south-east. Medieval builders used ragstone to build churches, civic buildings, houses and bridges over local rivers.^[65] The predominance of ragstone beds in the locality gave Ditton a legacy of quarrying which continues today.^[66]

At the 2011 UK census, the Ditton electoral ward had a population of 4,786. The ethnic breakdown was 96% white, 1.2% mixed race, 1.7% Asian, 0.6% black and 0.3% other.^[71] The place of birth of residents was 94.8% United Kingdom, 0.4% Republic of Ireland, 1% other 2001 EU member countries, 0.5% later EU accession countries and 3.2% elsewhere.^[72] Religion was recorded as 67.5% Christian, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.3% Hindu, 0.1% Sikh and 0.6% Muslim. 24.2% were recorded as having no religion, 0.3% had an alternative religion and 6.7% did not state their religion.^[73]

The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 43.4% in full-time employment, 15.6% in part-time employment, 9.2% self-employed, 2.5% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 2.7% students without jobs, 16.9% retired, 3.7% looking after home or family, 2.6% permanently sick or disabled and 0.7% economically inactive for other reasons.^[74] The main industries for employed residents was 18.5% retail, 11.9% health and social work, 10.4% construction, 8.6% education and 7.9% manufacturing. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in construction and retail, and a relatively low proportion in hotels and restaurants.^[75] Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 21% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 27.4% nationwide.^[76]

The parish of Ditton contains a number of agricultural, small commercial and industrial businesses, marking a historical shift from a farming-based community to a modern, mixed economy.^[1][77]

The Medway valley has long been associated with papermaking. In February 2015 it was confirmed that the last major paper mill in the parish, Aylesford Newsprint, was to close with the loss of 233 jobs.^[78] Ditton's connection with the industry predates 1667,^[79] when a paper mill was already established at an ancient settlement known as Coldharbour, which stood at the northern end of the millpond which can still be found - albeit now bisected by the M20 - just to the northeast of Cobdown House. It is very likely that this mill, which by the nineteenth century had become known as Mill Hall Mill, was the earliest paper mill on the lower tributaries of the River Medway.^[80][81] In the modern era, in 1922, Albert E Reed and Company Limited, who already ran two successful paper mills at Tovil, built a large mill on the banks of the River Medway at New Hythe. Reed International became a major paper manufacturer who, at its height, had in the region of 1,500 employees. The business was seriously hampered by the advent of World War II, which caused a shortage of pulp to make newspapers and led to a different material, waste paper, being used in its place. Waste paper was then replaced by recycled fibre, which was fully utilised in the process of producing newsprint. The 60-acre Newsprint plant belonged to SCA, paper manufacturers from Sweden, in partnership with Mondi, and £250 million was invested in developing the site. Aylesford Newsprint was one of the world's leading manufacturers of newsprint, recycling around 500,000 tonnes of material to produce some 400,000 tonnes of final product. Media organisations in Europe, America, and the Far East relied on the recycled newsprint from the plant for their publications. The East Malling Stream, which at one time turned six mills on its short journey to the River Medway, four of them paper mills,^[82] was a vital water supply for the processes carried out in the plant.^[83]

At the opposite end of the parish is part of the 580 acre East Malling Research Station. This began in 1913 with 23 acres in response to a need among Kent farmers for assistance with their fruit growing activities.^[84] Since fruit was an important part of the Kent economy, the station performed a valuable role is carrying out research experiments and advising farmers on fruit production. The land that forms the research station grounds is conducive to the growing of fruit, with good water retention and drainage properties. The station was also well placed in terms of transport links since the nearby railway connected with London in one direction and the agricultural college at Wye in the other. It was an indication of the importance of the research station that the government and fruit producers were prepared to give financial support for its work. In 1938 the 360-acre Bradbourne House estate was added to the site.^[85] As a result of research work carried out on the site, the station established a reputation as a world centre for the research of perennial crops. Horticultural Research International operated the site until 2009 until 1 April 2010, since when the East Malling Trust has owned the research station. The station is fully engaged with local business and contains a lecture hall that can take 200 delegates.^[86][87]

The Ditton Laboratory, a short distance from the research station, was opened in 1930 by the Empire Marketing Board as a part of Cambridge University's Low-Temperature Research Station. The purpose of the laboratory was to carry out experiments on the shipping of fruit across the high seas, in order to extend its life over long, seaborne journeys. This led to an experiment being carried out to simulate, as far as was possible, conditions on board a cargo ship, the so-called "ship on land" experiment.^[88] One focus of research was the Cox's Orange Pippin Apple, which had the reputation of being a problematic fruit to transport over long distances.^[89] In 1969 the laboratory was incorporated into the East Malling Research Station as the fruit storage section.^[90] After the building was boarded up, a fish farm and fruit distribution business continued at its rear. It has since been demolished and replaced by a modern housing estate.^[91][92]

Quarrying for ragstone is still an important local industry. Gallagher Aggregates Limited operate the Hermitage Quarry, which is situated 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) to the south of Ditton village. About 50 employees work in the quarry and another 60 on subsidiary functions. According to the firm's estimates, there is only enough ragstone left in the quarry for another four years' quarrying, with the result that new sources of production are being sought. Ragstone in an important material the construction industry for roads and buildings.^[65]

In 2011 Gallagher Aggregated applied to extend the Hermitage Quarry into Oaken Wood in the parish of Ditton.^[65] The planning committee of Kent County Council granted permission for quarrying in part of the woodland, but the decision was referred to the Secretary of State. Planning committee chairman Richard King said that "local residents and environmental groups have argued that the loss of irreplaceable ancient woodland and impact on the local wildlife site is unacceptable. On balance, however, members felt the job prospects and the economic need for ragstone to support construction in the county in future, and benefits of the project outweighed these objections."^[93] The application was subsequently approved on appeal by the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, who observed that the economic benefits of being able to produce more ragstone and crushed rock from the site outweighed the loss of the wood.^[94]

Ditton is five miles from the centre of the county town of Maidstone, which is an important source of employment in the area.^[95]

Many bus services pass through Ditton. There are two main frequent and reliable routes provided by Arriva Southern Counties.

The 71 Arriva service between Snodland and Maidstone Town Centre (via Allington) passes through Ditton every 10 minutes (Monday - Saturday) and every 30 minutes (Sunday). The sister 72 Arriva service between Kings Hill and Maidstone Town Centre also passes through Ditton every 30 minutes (Monday - Saturday).^[96]

The 703 Arriva service between Maidstone Town Centre and Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe, Dartford also passes through Ditton however this is an intermittent service that runs three times a day (Monday - Friday).^[97]

The nearest railway stations are at Aylesford and East Malling..

Since 31 May 2009 Ditton has had an officially recognised nature reserve, Ditton Quarry off Kilnbarn Road. Natural England declared it a Local Nature Reserve after a partnership had been formed between Ditton Parish Council, residents, and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.^[98]

Many ragstone quarries have been abandoned and backfilled once exhausted. When Ditton Quarry closed down in 1984, quarrying operations had left behind a legacy of a lime-rich soil which formed the foundation of a thriving habitat for plants and wildlife; 140 wildflowers (including five that are rare in Kent), 18 butterfly species, and 50 bird species have been recorded. It is also home to foxes, rabbits, frogs, toads and newts. The quarry is now a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI). Public access is free.^[99]

The quarry is also a prime location for geological research and provides opportunities for field studies in a variety of disciplines: sedimentology, stratigraphy, palaeontology, geography, and industrial archaeology. Several features make this a unique location for the study of rock formations. Visitors can examine the extensively exposed rock faces, primarily Kentish Ragstone and Hassock facies, and study changes in vertical and lateral facies. The facies are glauconitic with some horizons of silicification. Shell debris (ammonites, belemnites, nautiloids, bivalves, etc.) and bioturbation are also present. The quarry could be important for future research via gamma ray profiling of the rock beds in relation to changes in sea level and climate.^[100]