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Ashford Leasing

Did You Know?

Ashford is a town in the Ashford district, in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of the North Downs, about 61 miles southeast of central London.

Modern Ashford developed as a railway centre with a locomotive works, and it manufactures agricultural implements, beer, and bricks. The eastern borough was designated as an area for future expansion as mid-Kent reaches its optimum population. Area borough, 224 square miles (581 square km).

Ashford has been associated with the German town Bad Münstereifel since the 20th century. British forces occupied the town in 1919 under the command of Major J Goode, following the end of the war.

Ashford's history goes back thousands of years. There is evidence of settlement dating back as far as prehistoric times. The town was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086.

First mention of 'Essetesford', the original Saxon name for Ashford (ash by the ford). Hugo de Montfort is given lands from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Ashford recorded in the Domesday Book as a manor with 2 villagers, 15 smallholders, 3 slaves and 1 priest.

The town's name tells a lot about its origins; the name Ashford means a grove of ash trees near a ford. It this case the ford was across the River Stour, and the ford was the reason why a settlement grew up.

After more than three and a half centuries under the de Burgos, Ashford passed into the hands of Sir Richard Bingham, Lord President of Connaught, following a fierce battle against the forces of the de Burgos.

Ashford's history goes back thousands of years. There is evidence of settlement dating back as far as prehistoric times. The town was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. Here it was described as having a church, two mills and 21 'households', which was large by medieval standards.

The station opened in 1842 as Ashford by the South Eastern Railway (SER) as a temporary terminus of the line from London to Dover via Croydon. Connections to Folkestone, Canterbury and Hastings opened within ten years.

In 1243, Ashford’s history as a market town began, becoming one of Kent’s most important by the 1600s. Initially based in Middle Row and the High Street, the Ashford Cattle Market Company Ltd was formed to relocate it in 1856 to Elwick Road as it had outgrown its site. Now located in Orbital Park and used by over 5,000 farmers, it remains one of the top 15 markets in the UK.

Best known for gripping thrillers, Forsyth grew up in his parents’ North Street furrier shop with the Battle of Britain raging above. After becoming the youngest pilot in the RAF, Forsyth joined Reuters as a war correspondent before writing bestselling novel The Day of the Jackal.

Fans of the TV series The Darling Buds of May will recognise Buss Farm as the home of Pop Larkin. Bates lived in Little Chart and, whilst visiting the village shop in neighbouring Pluckley, came across ‘in high spirits, a remarkable family’ – the inspiration for the lovably roguish Larkin clan.