Dartford
Statistics Population: Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: Maps for TQ525735 Administration District: Dartford County: Kent Region: South East England Nation: England Other Ceremonial county: Kent Traditional county: Kent Post office and telephone Post town: DARTFORD Postcode: - style="vertical-align: top;" Dialling code: 01322 Politics UK Parliament: Dartford European Parliament: South East England
It is situated in a valley through which the River Darent flows, and where the old road from London to Dover crossed: hence the name, from Darent+ford. Although today it is principally a commuter town it has a long history.
History
Early history
Its position has meant that many people have lived here through the ages: there have been finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age .The Romans built the Dover to London road (afterwards named Watling Street ) which crossed the River Darent here. Noviomagus (Crayford) is close by.
Dartford is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Middle Ages
The town became a market centre during the Middle Ages, and two groups of friars - the Domicans and the Franciscans - built hospitals here for the care of the sick, especially those wayfarers on pilgrimage through the town.In 1576 a school was provided for teaching grammar.
The parish church is dedicated to
17th & 18th centuries
Industry
Iron-making on the Weald was in full operation at this time, and iron ingots were sent to Dartford, to the mill set up by an immigrant from the Low Countries, Geoffrey Box. Here iron rods were manufactured.Another immigrant, a German named Spielman, was allowed to set up what was the second papermill in England at Dartford in the eighteenth century; soon some 600 employees worked there, many themselves German.
In 1785, a Mr Hall, a blacksmith from Lowfield Street, began to make engines, boilers and machinery. Some of that machinery was for the local gunpowder factory.
Turnpikes
In the middle of the 18th century a toll road, following the course of Watling Street and connecting London with Canterbury, was completed through Dartford. Later, a road south to Sevenoaks was built.19th & 20th centuries
Industry
- Dartford Paper Mills were built in 1862, when excise duty on paper was abolished.
- Engineering, especially heavy engineering, in the town and the Erith-Crayford -Dartford area expanded. WWI meant that output at the local Vickers factory multiplied, with a dramatic effect on the population.
- Burroughs, Wellcome established chemical works
Education
Dartford Grammar School was established in 1576. The school is highly prestigious and competition for entry is tough - only 1 in 7 pupils sitting the Dartford selection test will be allowed entry. The pupils at school frequently do extremely well in their GCSE's A'Levels and IB diploma. The school also has a history of sending pupils to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and other prestigious places such as King's College London, UCL, Durham and Imperial.Communications
Roads
The coming of the railways brought an end to the turnpikes. Eventually tarmacadam roads appeared; and in 1925 the building of what was to become the A2 main road took traffic away from Dartford town Centre.Railways
The first railway from London to reach the town was the North Kent Line via Woolwich in 1849, connecting at Gravesend with the line through the Medway Towns. Later two more lines were built:- the ’’Dartford Loop line’’ through Sidcup opened in 1866
- the Bexleyheath line’’ opened in 1895
Population
In 1801, Dartford’s population was c2400; by 1961 it was over 46,000.Prominent People
Dartford is proud of its sons (Sir) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of one of the most famous of all rock bands The Rolling Stones. They are said to have met at Dartford train staion.The artist Sir Peter Blake is also a notable Dartfordian.