Offham, Kent

Offham is a village in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England, five miles to the west of Maidstone.

Not to be confused with Otham.

Offham
Offham
Location within Kent
Population755 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ655575
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWest Malling
Postcode districtME19
Dialling code01732
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament

Offham has a quintain on the village green that was reported in medieval times for use in jousting. It is reputed to be the last English quintain in its original position, though it was removed for safe keeping during the Second World War.[2]

The village gets its name from "Offa", the name of a Saxon landowner, and "ham", a village or homestead.[3]

History

The village has been occupied since Roman times, and the major Roman road from London to the Weald ran through the parish. Offham grew in prominence in the early ninth century under the Saxons.

Jack Straw, the rebel during the reign of Richard II, is said to have been born at Pepingstraw Manor in the parish.[4]

Quintain
Quintain on Offham Green with crocuses 2006

The village is famed for its medieval quintain which stands on the green, believed to be the last remaining example in the country.

The quintain consists of a wooden post around eight feet in height with a freely-rotating arm on the top. One end of the arm is flat (the "eye"), with the other used to attach heavy objects such as a leather pack. In a sport dating back to perhaps Roman times, a horseman would ride at the quintain at full pace with his lance extended to strike the flat end. Should the horseman not be riding sufficiently quickly, the arm would swing round and the heavy object knock him off his horse.[3]

Ragstone

The village's houses are predominantly constructed from ragstone, Kent's most celebrated building stone. The stone has been mined in the parish since Roman times, with its hardness and durability making it a popular choice for fortifications in London and the south east.

Church
Stained glass in Offham church

The first church in the parish was founded by the Saxon lord of the manor who built a private chapel in the early ninth century. After the Norman Conquest it was replaced by a stone church and the lower stage of the tower of the present church dates from this time.[3]

The present church is dedicated to St Michael. The Reverend David Green is the Current Incumbent.

Village life

The village hosts annual May Day celebrations on the green; a May Queen parades through the village, accompanied by Morris Men, school children perform maypole dances, and occasionally local horseriders undertake the ancient sport of "tilting at the quintain", though a replica quintain is now used.[2]

The King's Arms is the only remaining public house. Built in the sixteenth century, the pub was originally two cottages, later owned by a saddler and harness maker who ran his business there until granted a licence in 1680.[3]

Offham also has its own primary school, called Offham Primary School.

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  2. "Origins of the Offham Quintain". Offham Parish Council. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  3. "Off the beaten track: Offham". BBC. 24 May 2006.
  4. A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 469-472

Media related to Offham, Kent at Wikimedia Commons

Nearest Settlements
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.