England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Harbledown St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Harbledown lies in northeastern Kent about a mile west of the city of Canterbury. Harbledown sits on what used to be the route of the A2 from London to Canterbury, that road now takes a more southerly route to bypass Canterbury with its old route now being the A2050. Harbledown sat upon the ancient pilgrimage route to Canterbury and was traditionally the spot where Canterbury's Cathedral first came into view as they crested Harbledown's hill. Today as Canterbury's suburbs have expanded the city is now contiguous with Harbledown which has become just another suburb. At the time of this transcript Harbledown would have been a distinct village, arable farming the predominant income source, however almost 1/3rd of the parish was set to managed woodland, coppicing providing materials for basketry, fencing and general building materials. Modern developments have come to the parish as both railway lines from London to Canterbury pass through to the south, the A2 is also modernised being almost to motorway standards as it passes. The River Stour passes to the south and drains the parish northeastwards, after passing through Canterbury the Stour makes its way to the North Sea through the port of Sandwich. Harbledown is sited at around 30 metres above the sea in gentle terrain, land rises gradually northwestwards to close to 100 metres within nearby Church Wood. Harbledown parish was fairly typically sized for its county, covering just over 1,600 acres it would have supported a population of close to 750 parishioner, many more in today's suburban landscape. Harbledown is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the northern side of Church Hill, a parallel lane to the former route of the A2 now A2050 which passes further north. St Michael has been much modified over the centuries but has an ancient core to which much has been added. At the heart of the church is the former nave, Norman Romanesque in style and probably 12th century in origin. This small and simple church received a 13th century chancel in Early English Gothic to complete a very basic simple village church. This entity sufficed for the village until Victorian times when a whole new, and much larger, nave & chancel was erected alongside reverting the former church into a mere southern aisle and chapel. Thus we effectively have twin churches together with the white weatherboarded bellcote occupying a southwestern position. Church Hill has permitted street parking on its southern side. The site is raised strongly above road level with a rising pathway to gain entry from the eastern edge. Sadly this church is totally enclosed within mature trees such that it is impossible to gain landscape views from any angle, guaranteed to have the photographer scratching their heads and throwing up their arms in frustration.