Sutton, Kent

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Village in Kent, England

title: "Sutton, Kent" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["villages-in-kent", "dover-district", "civil-parishes-in-kent"] description: "Village in Kent, England" topic_path: "general/villages-in-kent" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton,_Kent" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Village in Kent, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK place"]

Field	Value
official_name	Sutton
country	England
region	South East England
static_image	Duck pond, Sutton.jpg
static_image_caption	A duck pond in Sutton
population	772
population_ref	(2011)
os_grid_reference	TR3349
label_position	top
post_town	Dover
postcode_area	CT
postcode_district	CT15
shire_district	Dover
shire_county	Kent
coordinates
::

Sutton is a village and civil parish near Dover in Kent, England. In 1935 this village became a parish when the small settlements of Studdal, Sutton, Ashley, Little Mongeham and Maydensole joined to become the Parish of Sutton-by-Dover. Prior to this Sutton has had a vast history of agricultural practices, which has helped sustain the village into the parish it is today. The quoted population includes the villages of East and West Studdal plus Swingate and the hamlet of Little Mongeham.

Leisure and recreation

The parish of Sutton has various recreational areas scattered throughout its settlements. For example, there is a sports field located on the north side of Downs Road, which consists of a large field divided into a children's playground area, and containing both a BMX track and a games pitch. The allotments and community orchard, which are situated north of Chapel Lane and accessible via a path along the roadside, have been planted with traditional English apples trees, and maintained by the parish council. The parish is also home to a number of footpaths and trails, including the North Downs Way, along with a number of picnic areas such as Jack's Bush. The latter, situated at the peak of Downs Road, has extensive views across the Downs and Pegwell Bay.

Settlements within the parish

Ashley

Containing the only pub in the parish, the small settlement of Ashley contains a mixture of building styles, dating predominantly from the 1940s. Ashley's older properties are clustered in the centre of the hamlet at the intersection of the roads and paths, with one of the oldest of these being a thatched cottage. Expanding outwards from the centre, the development has grown along Waldershare Road to the West and Chapel Lane to the east, which is the main road running through this settlement.

The buildings along "Waldershare Road consist mainly of detached bungalows, which are built on both sides of the road". "The facade of the road comprises hedge and brick walls, with all the houses being located further back from the road, behind small front gardens". In comparison, the houses which run along "Chapel Lane are detached modern bungalows, which are divided with two short terraces dating from the early 1900s". In comparison to "Waldershare Road, development has only occurred on one side of the road".

Maydensole and Napchester

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/19th_Century_Map_of_Sutton,Kent.jpg" caption="access-date=2017-04-29}} Maydensole Farm was altered and extended to its present size in 1790; there have been minimal alterations since then."] ::

Studdal

East Studdal, which has developed around the junction of Skraters Hill, Downs Road, Stoenheap Road and Homestead lane, lies in the centre of the parish and contains a community centre, playground, sports field, church hall and a small shop. Over the years, East Studdal has expanded slowly. Small developments were constructed for specific purposes, such as colliery or council houses. There is little litter, graffiti or vandalism. The building materials vary throughout the settlement, from stock bricks, red and brown clay and pebble dash, to textured concrete tiles and slates for roofs.

Stoneheap Road consists of individually designed residences, ranging from barn conversions to small bungalows. Houses along Dowsn Road are semi-detached and were built in the 1930s for colliery workers. Homestead Lane, the oldest part of the settlement, contains mostlyl stock brick dwellings.

Little Mongeham

The small hamlet of Little Mongeham contains sixteen houses on approximately 1000 acres of land. Once containing a parish church which was lost to ruin in the 18th century, the hamlet still contains a number of historic landmarks, such as Little Mongeham House, a striking brick built dwelling, topped by an unusual viaduct-style abutment between its chimney stacks. In comparison, Manor Farm has a Kent peg roof and is half clad in hanging clay tiles. Away from the cluster of older dwellings there are several modern bungalows, some of which are chalet style, which have been built from yellow stock bricks, with roofs composed mainly of slate or in some cases red clay titles.

Demographics

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Sutton_population_time_series_1801-2011.jpg" caption="Total population of Sutton, Kent as reported by the census of population from 1801-2011"] ::

Population

Since data collection began in 1801, population figures remained very similar between this year and 1931, whereby up until then there have been minimal increases and decreases in total population. In 1801 the total population stood at 134 (65 males and 69 females) and after a century, these figures fluctuated very little, whereby in 1931 the total population was 212 with there being an even split of males and females. Over the duration of 130 years the total population increased by only 78, averaging an increase 0.6 people per year. However, between 1931 and 1951 the total population increased significantly, whereby over a 20-year period 511 people had moved into this area, which when compared to the statistical data from previous years is a substantial gain, which fails to fit the norm.

Occupational structure

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Occupational_structure_in_Sutton,_1881.jpg" caption="Occupational structure for Sutton, 1881 showing female percentage"] ::

Parish history

For many years, farmers have been attracted to Sutton because of the light and easily tilled chalky soils. The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England have identified crop marks, tracks and ditches dating from the Iron Age to the Roman period. In the following centuries, farmsteads developed across the parish, many of which still exist".

St Peter and St Paul's Church

St Peter and St Paul’s is located along East Sutton Road and is in the far North East of Deanery, bordering on the parishes of the North Downs Deanery to the North, Sutton Valence to the West and Headcorn to the South. The church, which has been standing for 800 years, is the key feature of this small village, with services held every day from the Book of Common Prayer.[[File:St Peters and St Paul's Church.png|thumb|St Peters And St Paul's Church, East Sutton |241x241px|left]] Built in 1120 AD, the church was of vital importance to the local community. During the 9th century of King Alfred's reign in England, upon defeating the Vikings, he set about creating a new system of Christian learning that would reach illiterate people living in rural areas. The effects began to show in the 10th century, when Lords began to provide small chapels on their land where local people could use the services of a priest, laying the groundwork for the parish system". However, it was the Norman Conquest that ultimately defined the power of the church in England, whereby William the Conqueror implemented a country wide building project, encouraging the building of churches in all major towns and villages. This movement lead to the creation of the church in Sutton, which played a key role in community life, acting as a school, a market and an entertainment venue.

Today, the church still plays a vital role within the community. Keeping in touch with the community spirit, the church offers services for both local people and families, whereby on every third Sunday of the month, occasions such as Father's Day are celebrated. Furthermore, the church supports local and international charities, such as Family Care, Christian Aid and USPG, carrying out fundraising activities such as sponsored cycle rides and summer parties.

Transport

Sutton lies in close proximity to two railway stations, Martin Mill and Walmer, both approximately 2.8 miles away. The stations situated along the South Eastern Railway Line, provide links to surrounding towns such as Dover, and Canterbury as well as the Capital City, London.

Due to Sutton's remote location, the nearest major road is the A256, located 11 miles west of Sutton. This road which precedes to link to the A2 further south can be accessed by Forge Lane or Downs Road.

References

"Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics.
(1903). "Historical Map of Sutton".
(2007). "Sutton-By-Dover Parish Design Statement [Leaflet]". Sutton by Dover Parish Council.
"Napchester Farm".
"Parishes: Little Mongeham".
"Little Mongeham, Kent Genealogy".
"Sutton CP/AP through time {{!}} Historical Statistics on Population for the Parish-level Unit".
"Kent".
"Arable farming".
Hughes, Kathryn. "Gender roles in the 19th century".
"History of the Parish".
"Sutton by Dover St Peter and St Paul".
"Church of St Peter and St Paul".
(2011-04-27). "Christianity in Britain".
(17 June 2013). "East Sutton Church".
"Google Maps - Sutton, Kent".
"Walmer Station".

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