Aylesford

Along the banks of the River Medway, just four miles north west of the major Kentish town of Maidstone is home to the village of Aylesford. The village is classified under the district of Tonbridge and Malling and falls under the county of Kent. Although by village standards Aylesford actually boasts a rather extensive population, which according to the census of 2001 was approaching five thousand inhabitants. In addition, a substantial number of tourists flock to this riverside village every year, especially in the summer months. Aylesford's popularity amongst tourists is attributed to its idyllic location, alongside the River Medway and also the traditional village appeal that the village has managed to preserve despite a rapid expansion in terms of both population and infrastructure in recent years.

With the increase in local inhabitants and tourists alike, the village has adapted extensively and notably in the last thirty years to offer a variety of services and thus make provisions for the large volume of people that pass through. This has seen a number of guest houses and small scale hotels springing up throughout the area. Despite these changes, Aylesford has far from abandoned its traditional village feel. Local village pubs still feature heavily amidst its streets and its history is in fact one of the main attractions and point of interest for the majority of visitors to the area. In fact, activity in the area has been traced as far back as the New Stone Age era, or Neolithic period. Although any visible remnants of this early history have been long since damaged by farming and agricultural activities in the area, a small number of chamber tombs still survive. Kit's Coty House is one of the most famous and most visited in the area. The manor of Aylesford was also established by William the Conqueror during the Norman settlement of England. A monastery was also founded in Aylesford, known as "The Friars" or more commonly "Aylesford Priory". The monastery was of the Carmelite order, the first of its kind to be founded within the British Isles in 1240. Aylesford Priory obviously suffered under Henry VIII's order for the dissolution of the monasteries, but was eventually rebuilt in the 1670s. Since 1949 the Carmelites have actually reassumed control of the site and completed an extensive restoration, allowing the Friars to serve both as a conference centre and popular tourist site in the present day. The Royal British Legion village is also located to the south of the area and serves as one of the main hubs of Legion life nowadays.

Aylesford's location along the River Medway has also proved integral in shaping both the history and landscape of the village. Historians have announced Aylesford as the site of one of the earliest bridges, which they have dated from around the 14th century. The boom in visitor numbers has consequently seen the volume of traffic increase, and so in a view to protect and preserve the ancient bridge, traffic is now served by a more modern bridge structure nearby, although the original remains for pedestrian use. Wharfs also feature heavily on the riverside landscape of Aylesford, as they were used for cargoes and loading barges in earlier centuries.

As is the case in many Kentish villages, the coaching inns and almshouses remain among the oldest buildings in Aylesford; the Chequers Inn and George House are the most noted by tourists. Although Aylesford has adapted to its recent expansion, with suburban housing estates and extended railway links, especially to Maidstone and London, the village remains true and proud of its heritage, which is the principle attraction for visitors looking for the traditional English village experience.