England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
High Halden St Mary

The Parish

The parish of High Halden lies in south central Kent not too far from its border with neighbouring Sussex. High Halden is located about 3 miles north of the small town of Tenterden in the southern Weald and sits on the A28 road which connects Tenterden with Ashford. High Halden is a largely linear village with most properties built alongside the A38 or on short side lanes, the notional centre of the village is towards the eastern end where resides the church. Wealden soils tended towards a heavy clay unsuitable for arable farming, here the growers were restricted to either pastures or to the traditional Kent cropping from orchards; variety of employment was met by the local stone which was rich in iron & manganese and some extractive industry was present. High Halden, as its name suggests, sits on a watershed with streams draining to the north heading via the River Beult to the Medway & outer Thames Estuary, whilst those to the south headed towards the Rother and the English Channel. Despite the name High Halden is sited at only 40 metres above the sea but still something of a local height in this generally low-lying countryside. Wealden parish are extensive for southern England, High Halden was typical in covering almost 3,800 acres, it would have supported a population of just under 700 parishioners. In Domesday times High Halden is not mentioned, the Weald was sparsely populated at that time, however within the parish falls the manor of Tiffenden, a holding of Hugh de Montfort offering just a half share of a single plough.

The Church

St Mary's church sits just south of the A28 on the eastern side of the main lane leading south from that road and at the eastern end of the village. The church has its origins in the 12th century, the Early English Gothic period being shown within the short nave and western half of the chancel, a lancet towards the eastern end of the latter also remains from that period, It is towards the end of the 14th century that the church's finest piece is constructed, the western belfry tower. From an octagonal basal stage grows a square storey topped by a further octagonal and splay-footed spire. Pevsner points to uts similarity with pieces in Essex churches but it is certainly the centrepiece of St Mary. The remainder of the church is a mixture of Perpendicular designs from the late 14th century together with the results of a Victorian restoration of 1868. The lane, Church Hill, has no immediate parking but a cut-off lane (Greenside) a short distance to the north provides safety. The churchyard is hedged to the roadside with a nice lychgate for entry, it is a little tight to the building but there remains adequate angles for photography.