Goudhurst

Goudhurst is a village in Kent on the Weald, about 12 mi south of Maidstone. It stands on a crossroads, where there is a large village pond. It is also in the Cranbrook catchment area.

Origin of name
The place name of Goudhurst is derived from the Old English guo hyrst, meaning Battle Hill, or the wooded hill on which a battle has been fought. The name commemorates a battle fought on this high ground in Saxon times. The spelling has evolved over the centuries: Gmthhyrste (c1100), Guthurst or Guhthersts (c1200), Gudhersts (1232), Guthhurste (1278), Goutherst (1316), Goodherst (1610), then the current-day spelling.

History
The church in Goudhurst probably existed long before 1119, its earliest recorded date. The church has been altered and restored many times over the centuries. Until 1637 it had a tall spire which was eventually destroyed by lightning. In 1638 three London masons rebuilt the west tower During the Victorian era the church was restored by the architect Richard Carpenter The village was one of those involved in the Wealden iron industry; it was a centre for the growing of hops and for weaving. A group of weavers' cottages stands opposite the church.

The Battle of Goudhurst in 1747 led to the end of the Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers.

The village's recent history is extremely well documented. The Goudhurst Jubilee Book (1935), Goudhurst Coronation Book (1937) and Goudhurst and Kilndown Millennium Book (2001, ISBN 0-9527822-1-9) contain detailed reminiscences, directories, historical notes, matters of local intelligence and records of celebrations starting from the 1800s and before, up to the current time. These books were printed as limited editions and are much sought after, as the authors painstakingly recorded not only the written but also the oral history of the village.

Bedgebury
Bedgebury is one of the oldest estates in Kent: having given its name to the de Bedgebury family, it passed into the hands of the Culpeper family in 1450. When the estate was sold in 1680, a new house was built which itself became a girls' school in the 1920s (closed in the summer of 2006). In 2007 the school was purchased by the Bell Educational Trust, an educational charity. In the summer of 2007 the school reopened as the Bell Bedgebury International School, and the grounds also play host to the Bell Bedgebury Language Centre. Bedgebury Pinetum is nearby. It was acquired by the Forestry Commission in 1924.

Public transport
In the past, the branch railway line from Paddock Wood had a station for the village. It was opened on 1 October 1892 and was originally named 'Hope Mill for Goudhurst and Lamberhurst' before being renamed to 'Goudhurst' on 4 September 1893, the day the final part of the line came into service – the extension to Hawkhurst via Cranbrook; physically, the station was about half a mile from the centre of Goudhurst, and somewhat further from Lamberhurst. The station was closed on 12 June 1961 because of lack of use, passenger numbers having dropped to fewer than 200 per day. The track was lifted in 1964, and in 1967 the station sites were offered for sale.

At present, the only public transport for Goudhurst are two bus routes operated by Arriva Southern Counties - the 26 to Maidstone, and the 297 which runs to Tunbridge Wells in the west and Tenterden and Ashford in the east.

Notable people

 * Ernest Alfred Benians (1880-1952), academic and historian, was born in Goudhurst.
 * William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford (1768-1856), owned the Bedgebury Estate and built Kilndown in the 1840s.
 * Harry Christophers (b 1956), conductor, was born in Goudhurst.
 * Gerald Charles Dickens, actor and great great grandson of novelist Charles Dickens lived in the village.
 * Leonard Benjamin Franklin (1862-1944), barrister and politician, was born in Goudhurst.
 * Stephen Groombridge (1755-1832), astronomer, was born in Goudhurst.
 * Daniel Horsmanden (1691-1778), judge, was born in Goudhurst.
 * Stephen Law (d c.1788), Governor of Bombay from 1739-42, lived in Goudhurst at the time of his death.
 * William Howard Vincent Levett (1908-55), Kent and England cricketer, was born in Goudhurst.
 * Richard Milbourne (d 1624), bishop, was vicar of Goudhurst 1611-15
 * Alfred Mynn (1807-61), cricketer, was born in Goudhurst.
 * William Rootes (1894-1964), founder of Rootes Group was born in Goudhurst.