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Northfleet in Kent County England History and GeographyNORTHFLEET, a parish in the hundred of TOLTINGTROUGH, lathe of AYLESFORD, county of KENT, 1½ mile (W.) from Gravesend, and 20 miles (E.) from London, containing 1964 inhabitants. This place is mentioned in Domesday-book, and is supposed to have been more anciently a Roman and a Danish station. The river Thames bounds the parish on the north. At a distance from the river the face of the country is diversified with gently rising hills and small vallies; but to the north-west the land lies so low as to be overflowed at high tides, and the flood would extend even beyond the London road, if not prevented by a raised causeway and bridge, to which flood-gates are affixed as a barrier against the tides, and an outlet for the fresh water. The bridge was erected at an early period, and rebuilt of brick in 1634, which being found inconvenient, another has been constructed in a line with the direction of the road. Large chalk and lime works extend from the north side of the village to the Thames. Lime is sent in very considerable quantities for the use of the builders in London, and is also exported to Holland and Flanders, the refuse being used for manuring the land in Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. The chalk pits are very extensive, and strata of flint stones abound, which are frequently wrought into flints for guns. Embedded in the chalk are found many curious fossils, chiefly echinites and glossopetr' (or sharks' teeth); and some of the flints enclose cockle-shells filled with chalk, forming singular natural curiosities. Here is a large yard for ship-building, near which is a spacious dock excavated in the solid chalk, and capable of containing six or seven large ships: the first vessel built here was the Royal Charlotte, East Indiaman, in 1789. At this place is an establishment for the manufacture of Parker's Roman cement. Fairs are held on Easter and Whit Tuesdays, and on the 24th of March. The living is a vicarage, within the exempt deanery of Shoreham, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury, rated in the king's books at £21, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, which is dedicated to St. Botolph, is one of the largest in the diocese: it displays various styles of English architecture, with some good decorated windows: in the chancel are the remains of some ancient oak stalls; in the south wall are three stone seats, and on a slab in the pavement a full-length brass figure of a priest standing beneath a richly-ornamented canopy, with an imperfect Latin inscription around the verge of the slab; the grave, beneath being opened about forty years ago, the body of Peter de Lucy was found enveloped in leather. Among the monuments of more modern date is a fine alabaster tomb to the memory of Dr. Edward Browne, physician to Charles II., and author of Travels in Hungary. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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