The history of Chiddingstone Village

External view of the Post Office at Chiddingstone Village, Kent — The Post Office at Chiddingstone Village | © National Trust Images/David Sellman

Now one of the country’s best-preserved Tudor villages, Chiddingstone dates back to pagan times. The village has witnessed invasions, rebellions and plenty of local upheaval, and even played host to Anne Boleyn’s family. Discover more about the history of Chiddingstone Village.

The origins of Chiddingstone

Legend has it that Chiddingstone is named after the distinctively shaped rocky outcrop that sits at the centre of the village. The Chiding Stone is said to have been used, at various times, as a druid altar, an Anglo-Saxon boundary marker and a place of punishment or chiding.

Similar names were recorded as far back as the 12th century, when the village was known as Cidingstane, stane being the Middle English word for stone.

Norman invaders

In 1072, following the Norman invasion, Chiddingstone was handed to William the Conqueror’s half-brother Bishop Odo as part of the Earldom of Kent. Odo’s greedy and tyrannical behaviour made him so unpopular that no one took up the Earldom after him.

The church at Chiddingstone – which has since been re-built several times – is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the nationwide survey ordered by William.

The Chiding Stone at Chiddingstone Village, Kent — The Chiding Stone at Chiddingstone Village | © National Trust Images/David Sellman

The Middle Ages

Chiddingstone was on the fringes of some notable historical events during the Middle Ages. In 1450, local men Roger Attwood and William Hunt joined the ranks of Jack Cade’s Rebellion against the English government and were arrested, but subsequently pardoned.

During the early 16th century, Sir Thomas Bullen, father of Anne Boleyn, bought property in Chiddingstone, prior to the family's fall from grace after Anne’s execution by Henry VIII. 

The Streatfeilds of Chiddingstone

The Streatfeilds were major landowners in the area. Their wealth came from the local iron industry, which mainly provided munitions for warships, as well as building materials for local infrastructure.

In 1584, they bought a house on the main road through Chiddingstone, named High Street House. It was rebuilt in brick in the late 17th century and was the site where the family later constructed Chiddingstone Castle.

Coloured print of The Castle Inn, Chiddingstone, Kent — Coloured print of The Castle Inn, Chiddingstone | © National Trust Images/Clive James, Rod Stowell

Chiddingstone Castle

In the early 19th century, Henry Streatfeild changed the face of the village forever. High Street House was demolished and Chiddingstone Castle built in its place. Streatfeild then blocked the high street at the Castle Inn and diverted the road around the castle’s lake and garden to prevent villagers gaining access to his land.

Chiddingstone and the National Trust

The National Trust has owned Chiddingstone Village – excluding the school, the castle and the church – since 1939. Conservation work has helped it remain one of the best-preserved Tudor villages in the country and it’s been used as the location for a number of films and TV programmes.