Featured town - Ashford
Above: Ashford International train station (Kent Life Magazine)
Above: Ashford's Stour Centre (Kent Life Magazine)
Above: An aerial view of Ashford (Kent Life Magazine)
As one of the four areas designated for growth in the south east, the zeitgeist in Ashford is akin to New York before the skyscrapers. The difference is that this 21st-century redevelopment uses the cream of town planning artistry, respecting the wonderful old buildings, while attempting to reintroduce the community spirit that was partially lost in the 70s when a ring road ‘concrete collar’ surrounded the city.
The changes are well in train, and are already benefiting this beautiful historic town. The concrete collar is being replaced by a green necklace of trees and greenery, and Dutch-style shared space roads are being introduced.
Comprehensive leisure
Ashford already has one of the most comprehensive leisure centres in the county, sensational shopping and business facilities and, when the new rail link comes on-stream next year, will only be 37 minutes from central London, and is already only two hours from Paris. It has a heart full of historic buildings and is surrounded by an officially recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The settlement originated in 893 AD and was listed in the Domesday book as Essetesford, possibly meaning ‘ash trees growing near a ford’, and it had a church and two mills. By 1600, Ashford’s convenient access to other parts of Kent had made it an important market town, primarily for livestock. The parish church was then the centre of town, next to which was the Six Bells Inn (still there, now divided into retail units), and various other buildings and ale houses. The current nest of roads known as Middle Row was then The Shambles, housing markets for fish, corn, meat, butter and livestock. 13th-century St Mary the Virgin’s church was restored two hundred years later, and in 1636 the first free grammar school was built alongside, remaining there for 200 years. The building is now used as the Borough Museum.
In 1842 the railway arrived, and four years later the Railway Works was established, contributing to the town’s massive increase in population two decades on. This railway community had its own houses built around a village green, with schools, pubs, bathhouse and shops, and was known as Alfred Town, later New Town.
In the dawning of the current century, railways have again played their part in Ashford’s resurgence
Sadly, the Works closed in 1981 followed by closure of the Wheel Shop in 1993. However, in the dawning of the current century, railways have again played their part in Ashford’s resurgence, with the arrival of Ashford International railway station, with its high-speed links to London (coming next year) and the continent.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The centre of town is fully pedestrianised, giving the space a village-like atmosphere, especially on a market day (Saturday) when the High Street is packed with traders and their wares.
There are five spacious car parks around the perimeter, plus there’s a shopmobility scheme for the main shopping areas, and no steep hills precluding use of a wheelchair.
St Mary the Virgin church, with its awesome four-turreted tower and pretty churchyard, dates from 1250, and is in the centre of town, surrounded on all four sides by brick-paved footpaths called The Churchyard, which are flanked by houses. The tourist information office (01233 629165) is one of these, and is next door to Ashford Borough Museum (01233 631511), which was formerly Dr Wilkes Memorial Hall, and housed Ashford’s first grammar school in 1635; in addition to artifacts this also has a restored 17th-century schoolroom. The Churchyard consists mostly of small houses, predominantly white-painted brick below tiled upper storeys. There’s a quaint row of pure white cottages that have brightly painted front doors, all of dramatically contrasting colours.
In the centre of this tree-lined parade there’s a fountain made from a locomotive wheel
On the other side of the square is The College, a timber-beamed medieval building set back from the road, founded in 1464 as a college for priests. As you leave The Churchyard on the north side you come to a network of streets called Middle Row, in medieval times called the Butchers Shambles. On your right you’ll see a long row of shops, including estate agents and a travel agent. These shops were once all one construction, The Six Bells Inn, one of the oldest buildings in town. Go past the historic Man of Kent pub and you reach the High Street. In the centre of this tree-lined parade there’s a fountain made from a locomotive wheel, near to the town’s grand Friendship Stone, which commemorates Ashford’s twinning with Bad Munstereifel in Germany.
Turn around and go back up the High Street, crossing North Street. On your left is an old building with fantastic designs moulded into the external rendering. This used to be the town jail, known as The Cage, and, seen from a certain angle there’s a splendid view of the tower of the church looming behind it on the skyline. Go along historic North Street, where you’ll see Georgian and Jacobean houses plus The Raj Indian restaurant dated 1571. Returning to the High Street, turn right and you’ll come to The George, the oldest pub in continuous use since the 1500s. Keep going up the High Street, past Park Mall shopping centre on the right and County Square shopping center on your left, near to Starbucks, and you come to Castle Street. At the top of Castle Street is a First World War tank on display, which was given to the town in 1919.
In addition to being a place of worship, the parish church holds events throughout the year (the Tourist Information Office has details). Oranges Bar and Café (01233 621004), in Apsley St, hosts live music. The Stour Centre (01233 639966) has been described as the south east’s best new leisure destination, with a sensational health club spa, sauna steam room and swimming pools, plus sports halls. Similarly, The Julie Rose Stadium (01233 613131) has the best sporting and athletics facilities in the area. AMF bowling (0870 1183010) is an 18-lane bowling complex with pool tables, arcade games and bars, and Eureka Leisure Park has Kent’s largest combined leisure complex and 12-screen cineworld cinema (0871 200 2000). Starbucks, in the High Street, hosts Ashford Poets open mic nights on the first Saturday of every month (01797 363828), while Bar Three Zero (01233 630730) features top comedy acts on the first Wednesday of every month.
SHOPPING AND DINING
Ashford Designer Outlet (01233 895940), to the south of town near to Junction 10 of the M20, is Europe’s most spectacular shopping destination, with more than 70 high street and designer brands at discount prices, a food court, and good parking facilities.
In the town centre are two huge shopping centres; Park Mall, packed with leading names, and County Square, recently extended to twice original size, which now has even more world-class retailers (see below).
The High Street itself has regular Saturday markets in the main area, and a host of varied individual shops, as has North Street and Bank Street. Shopmobility is available for town centre shops (01233 650063). There’s also a farmers' market at nearby Wye on the first and third Saturday of each month.
The Ashford International Hotel (01233 219988) on Simone Weil Avenue has Horizon Restaurant, which offers excellent food in a spacious, light and modern setting, and Eastwell Manor Hotel (01233 213000) in Boughton Lees, has the award-winning Manor Restaurant, where you can choose from an extensive range of French and modern English cuisine and eat in a splendid wood-panelled dining room. For a restaurant that offers stunning views across the Wye Downs, try The Devil’s Kneading Trough Restaurant (01233 813212), for bistro-style lunches, and evening meals on Friday and Saturdays and traditional Sunday lunches.
The Hop Pickers (01233 712749) at Hothfield, offers excellent stonegrilled food, a method of dry cooking that locks in the natural juices and ingredients, and in town there is a wide range of cafes of all kinds; Massimo’s Caffe Italiano (01233 666945), on North Street, comes highly recommended for Italian cuisine, and the nearby Little Raj (01233 626373), is fine Indian food in 16th-century surroundings.