My Secret Dartford

'Good things are worth waiting for' Tesco said when they promised a new supermarket on Lowfield Street. Dartford waited 12 years for the giant to make good on its word. Source: Newsshopper Shops were boarded up and small local businesses forced to leave. It was an ugly derelict eyesore on the town. Tesco changed their plans four times before demolition work began and for more than a decade shop owners were made to sell up so that they could clear the site. Business owners including butcher Ray Richardson who closed his family shop due to the prolonged pressure of a compulsory purchase after having a business there for over a century.  The council was blamed for selling out to Tesco and further sending the town into decline. The stress of fighting for livelihoods against the supermarket corporate giant was tough. Finally after causing such hurt, Tesco pulled out and all Dartford had to show was derelict land where successful local businesses used to be. This part of recent histo

Dartford Beach View from Greenhithe   The Pathway beneath The QE2 The QE2 Bridge is as magnificent as it is imposing on the landscape. To truly see the secrets of the bridge you need to walk underneath it. Everyday this bridge carries vehicles between two counties completing the ring that is he M25 motorway but how many people can say they have seen its underside? You can join a footpath towards the bridge in two main locations. Next to the entrance of Asda in Greenhithe is a footpath which leads along to the Thames. If you follow it under the bridge you can exit at the 125 cycle route which take you onto the Bridge Estate. Running alongside the QE2 are two tunnels beneath the Thames. They were opened in 1963 and 1980. The bridge opened in 1991. It is 137m high and was designed to carry 135,000 vehicles daily. Unfortunately, as anybody who lives in Dartford or Thurrock knows congestion has become progressively worse and there are frequent heavy delays which are the bain of

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries women did not have the right to vote. It was a widely held belief that women should not be allowed. Indeed Queen Victoria called the fight for women’s rights a “mad, wicked folly”. Source: Wikipedia Why then  is it so unknown that a local woman played such an important part in propelling fundamental change to women's rights? Dartford has it's very own suffragette! Her name was Doreen Allen . She was born in 1879 and was a member of member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). One of ten children, she married Meville Hodsoll Allen who worked at the Stock Exchange in London. As happened to the suffragettes, she was force fed during a hunger strike. Doreen was arrested twice for window smashing and spent four months in Holloway Prison for her troubles. Here is an article about a handkerchief she signed while in prison with an an amusing title pun!

They met on platform 2 of Dartford Station.  Keith Richards on his way to Sidcup Arts College and Mick Jagger travelling to London School of Economics.  Later Mick dropped his studies to pursue music and The Rolling Stones followed.  Both went to Wentworth Primary School but lost contact before the chance encounter at the railway station.    Mick had considered becoming a journalist or a  politician.   How different the world of music be if he had!   Dartford Grammar School today proudly carries the legacy of their former pupil as the Mick Jagger Centre opened in March 2020. Apparently Bill Whyman, the former Rolling Stones bassist, was not amused about the plaque at Dartford Station presumably because he didn't feature on it.  Dartford Council did not wish to incur his wrath and vowed to get it changed but it looks like it's still there.  Source: Wikimedia In Dartford Central Park there is a rusty looking homage to Sir Mick lest we forget where he came from.  It is located to

The Dazzle Alphabet Album cover collaboration with Jann Howarth OASIS’ “Champagne Supernova (Lynch Mob Beats Mix) promo, single-sided, 12” single. Cover signed by Peter Blake One of the best known British Pop artists, Peter Blake was born in 1932. Perhaps most well known for designing the album cover of St Pepper's lonely Heart's Club Band for the Beetles, he also created two of The Who's album covers and Stop The Clocks for Oasis. Blake attended Maypole school Bexley and Dartford West Central. He lived in a house on Princes Road and then in 1937 a newly built semidetached house at 9 Marcus Road costing £600 at the time! He remembers the town park and library and recalls his family were involved in the Congregation Church. Blake describes Dartford being 'run by the Co-op' and a 'Co-op town'. At the age of 7 he was evacuated to Essex and later to Worcester. At the age of 14 he got a place at Gravesend Technical College as unlike his siblings he did not pass t

On Christmas Eve in 1801 Richard Trevithick, who is buried in Dartford, made history with the first ever successful journey of a steam locomotive. He named the carriage the 'Puffing Devil' and was able to carry 6 people on a journey steered by his cousin through the streets and up Camborne Hill in Cornwall. Trevithick died of pneumonia at the Bull Hotel on 22nd April 1833. It is sad to say that he was penniless and no relatives or friends were there during his sickness. He is buried at St Edmund's Pleasance and his funeral was paid for by colleagues at Hall's works who gathered a collection. They paid a night watchmen to guard his grave as body snatching was common. Waymark.com Sources: Cornwall Forever! The Puffin' Devil's first journey Wikipedia- Richard Trevithick Engineering Timeline- Grave of Richard Trevithick. Goodreads.com - Richard Revithick

  What does the detail in this coat of arms mean?  The chevron symbolises a bridge at the river Darent.  Within it, the fool's cap is the paper industry from the 16th century and the two red sacks represent the cement industry of Swanscombe.  The three discs are the three former councils and their  shape acknowledge the former pharmaceutical industry   Inside each disc is the symbol of a millrind which were the iron supports used for mill stones grinding wheat or other grains.  The ship represents the Roman history of the area.  Its seven oars are Dartford plus the six parishes of the district.  The lightning across the sail is a reminder of the former power station at Littlebrook. The lion symbolises the Monarchy.  King Henry III's sister was married in the district and Edward III founded the Priory .   (Dartford Priory was a significant nunnery in medieval and Tudor England.)   Also of note, Queen Elizabeth often stayed in the manor at Dartford.  Beneath the lion's foot i

British Pathé footage of Dartford's Fire Brigade WW1 Dartford Fire Brigade, WW1 During the First World War women had never before opportunities to work in occupations that were previously off limits  in order to do their part towards the war effort.  The war was not only an opportunity to serve country but also gain more rights and independence.

Sister Mary Violet Gantry SRN was a maternity nurse from Dartford. She was working at Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup during World War 2 which was heavily damaged in bombings. Mary was lowered head-first into the wreckage to care for and rescue the elderly ladies on one of the affected wards.  Despite her bravery sadly many still lost their lives. According to this newspaper article  'She crawled in and out of the wreckage with a bowl of hypodermic syringes, giving injections of morphia to the trapped women to relieve their pain.  She was twice lowered into the wreckage head first.'  It is further reported that when daybreak came she refused to go to bed, and returned to her normal duties. Source: Bexley Archives- Facebook Post

Charles Newman Kidd was born in 1844, West Sussex. He  learnt the brewing trade at the Holmes and Styles Medway brewery.  Some time before 1870 he bought the Oak Brewery on Hythe Street from William Miskin. In 1890 the brewery was expanded and renamed the Steam Brewery.  From February 1920 the business was known as C N Kidds & Sons Ltd.  In 1937 the brewery was bought and sold by Courage and brewing ceased.  The brewery was demolished in 1937. C.N. Kidd Esq., Steam Brewery, Dartford, Kent. Brewers’ Journal 15th October 1890 Source: Brewery History Society Another business that Kidd was involved in was brick making.  He had two brick earth pits, one of which in Shepherds Lane.    It is thought the mine closed in around 1912 and subsequently the brick earth pits were used as two rubbish dumps for Kids brewery in town.  In 1920  council workers entered the mines  and made a small tunnel to intercept a well shaft.  A drain connecting the surface water sewers of Shepherds Lane was let i

  Xylograph of Martina Bergman-Österberg   Martina Bergman-Österberg was born on 7 October 1849. In her native Sweden she was a supporter of women's suffrage. Her goal was social, economic and spiritual freedom for women. She moved to England in 1881 and created a Physical Training College in Hampstead in 1885 then transferred it to Dartford in 1895. It is now North-West Kent College, Oakfield Lane. Netball is one of the biggest female participation sports and Madame Osterberg is accredited with it's invention although versions of it were kicking around before she came on to the scene. Her influence on women's sport and fitness however are indisputable.  In 1897 Mary Tait who was one of her students invented the gymslip, a sleeveless tunic with a pleated skirt replacing the ground-length skirts and blouses that were normally worn. Bergman-Österberg adopted the new more practical sports clothings with her students and it became a standard uniform among British schoo

In June of 1944 the Germans started sending V1 flying bombs to London. They were given the nickname 'doodlebugs' or 'buzz bombs' due to their distinctive sound. Doodlebugs were essentially a bomb with wings that kept flying until they ran out of fuel. At this point they fell to the ground and exploded. Dartford was heavily bombed because German aircraft following the River Thames towards their London target would drop remaining bombs on the way back. On Sunday 6th August 1944 a Doodlebug fell on Carrington Road killing  10 people and injuring a further 107.  A total of 20 homes were destroyed while as many as 700 were damaged.   A blue plaque commemorates this tragedy. Sources: KentOnline- Plaque unveiled in Carrington Road, Dartford marking point where Second World War 'doodlebug' bomb dropped IWM- The Terrifying German 'Revenge Weapons' of the Second World War BBC- Plaque marks Dartford WW2 'doodlebug' site BBC- WW2 People's War Doodlebugs

100 Years of Dartford History Dartford Central Library is at the heart of the town opposite the war memorial. It was built with the aid of a grant by from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and designed by Thomas Edward Tiffin. The library opened on 1st January 1916. Soldiers during World War I staying in nearby military hospitals used it while convalescing. During World War II the cupola dome was used as an air raid watch post.  In 2007 it featured on an episode of 'Most Haunted' with Yvette Fielding. Supposedly the film crew experienced poltergeist activity and believed maloderous ghosts to frequent the building. An episode of 'Most Haunted' gives a tour of the library at night. In 2016, to mark its centenary the library underwent restoration lasting 6 months at a cost of £650,000 in order to preserve its heritage.  Walls and flooring were redecorated and original bookshelves refurbished.  Original doorways linking the museum and library were opened for  the first t

'Dirty Dartford, peculiar people, Bury their dead above the steeple.' As a result of overcrowding at Holy Trinity Church, in the 1690's burials began at St Edmunds Pleasance. Since it is much higher and in fact looks down upon the church, it led to this bizarre rhyme. It was Dartford's main burial ground until 1857. Originally the location was the site of a chapel built after the death of St Edmund the martyr in 870 AD. It was one of three local chapels mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086. In its grounds is the Martyrs' Memorial which commemorates Christopher Wade, a Dartford linen weaver who refused to renounce his protestant faith and was publicly burnt to the stake in July 1555. Margaret Polley who burned in Tunbridge and Nicholas Hall who burned in Rochester are also commemorated. Their deaths were brought about because Mary I (daughter of Henry VIII), made efforts to return England to Catholicism and resurrected laws against heresy. During this time, 280 peo

Sylvia undata or the Dartford Warbler is a small, dark brown long-tailed bird with a distinctive red ring around it's eye. It is found in lowland heaths south of the Thames among other locations in the UK. The Dartford warbler was first recognised in 1773 by John Latham an ornithologist who was given a pair that had been shot on Bexleyheath.  In 1783 he included the warbler in his 'A general Synopsis of Birds'. Available as a mug at Amazon and other retailers! Just in case you really love birds there is a t-shirt too!  (Who knew this little bird was so popular to have its own range of merchandise!) Amazon- Dartford Warbler Half Pint Mug Ninebarrow- Navy Dartford Warbler Navy T-shirt alderneywildlife.org Habitat preferences of the Dartford Warbler on Aldeney Wikipedia- Dartford warbler

Lt-Col Charles Newman Kidd J.P   In 1903 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Newman Kidd offered five acres of land to be developed by the town into recreational grounds with the condition that it be used 'in perpetuity as a public recreation ground and for no other purpose whatsoever'. Dartford Council  consequently  opened the area as  'Central Recreational Ground' to the public in June 1905. Ceremonially, there was a procession from outside the council offices to the park entrance at Lowfield street  and Kidd was presented with a silver key to unlock the gates. Dartford Volunteer Silver Band performed on the original bandstand in celebration. In 1910 the park grew when Bank House on the high street was converted into council offices.  A large part of its garden was added to the park.  In 1915 the council expanded the grounds further purchasing 16 acres of meadows bordering the river Darent.  It opened to the public in May 1916 but closed shortly after due to a lack of staff r

BBC Essex Kent Live Thurrock Gazette Highways England It is hard to imagine a time before the M25 sliced though Dartford and the bridge linked it up.  Before the QE2 Bridge construction there was originally just the tunnels linking Kent and Essex.  Work on the first tunnel began in 1936 and was paused by the Second World War.  It resumed in the 1950s opening in 1963 allowing for single lane traffic in both directions.  The second tunnel opened in 1980.

Famed for the iconic QE2 bridge joining Kent and Essex and Mick Jagger of course…… there has go to be more to Dartford than this! I thought I would do my own research project to find out more about the place I live, the history (which dates back to Saxon times apparently) and its people. This is my learning journey. Dartford is commuter belt for London. It is currently experiencing a period of regeneration at the heart of the town centre. The housing stock is a walk through history which I always find fascinating and I guess the abundance of pubs is part of its past too. The earliest pub in Dartford dates back to 1703 but I digress.  With easy access to London and only a stones throw away from the Kent countryside Dartford has the best of both worlds. Bluewater Shopping Centre is on its doorstep which some may see as a blessing others a curse! The under belly of the QE2 Bridge