The Stanford & Westenhanger History Society has started 2025 with two very interesting presentations.
Our AGM in January was followed by ‘Brockhill’s 800 Years of History – Part 1’ by Mike de la Mare.
Brockhill is remarkable for having been in possession of the same family from the 1200s to the early
1900s. In this first of Mike’s talks about Brockhill, we learnt how the estate came to be split in two,
with separate houses on either side of what is now Sandling Road – with the boundary wall of one
part still in evidence along the road. We are looking forward to Mike’s return visit next January to
give us ‘Brockhill’s 800 Year of History – Part 2”.
The presentation in March was from Andrew Richardson of Isle Heritage on ‘Daughters of Kings:
Women of Power in the Kingdom of Kent’. Women played a crucial role in all levels of society within
the Kingdom of Kent (5th-9th centuries AD). From Andrew’s archaeological investigations, we learned
the fascinating history of a selection of Anglo Saxon burials of women who lived in Kent during these
centuries, ranging from first generation migrants to royal wives, daughters and saints.