Chartham Village History & St. Augustine’s Hospital Asylum

Nestled within the picturesque North Downs, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Chartham is a charming village and civil parish located in the Canterbury district of Kent. It’s about 2.3 miles southwest of Canterbury, near the Ashford side of the city. The beautiful country long distance walk ‘the Great Stout Way’ passes through the village and makes a great day out.

The village name origins

The origins of the village name – Chartham is rooted in Old English, with “cert” signifying “rough ground” and “ham” denoting a “village or settlement,” which can be put together as a “village on rough ground.” This locality was documented in the Domesday Book as “Certeham.”

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Saint Mary the Virgin Church

The Church of St Mary, situated adjacent to the village green, is an architectural and historical gem with a peal of six bells. Remarkably, five of these bells were crafted in 1605 by Joseph Hatch, making them the oldest complete set from a single bell founder in Kent.

The church’s origins can be traced back to around 1294, and it houses an array of brass memorials, including one for Sir Robert de Setvans who passed away in 1306.

One of the church’s distinctive features is the stonework of its chancel windows, which showcases a unique style of tracery known as Kentish or split cusp tracery—an architectural detail that originated at this very site.

The 14th-century tower adds to the church’s historic character, and it underwent a significant restoration in 1875, led by George Edmund Street, a renowned architect from Oxford University. This renovation further enhanced the church’s aesthetic and historical significance, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the village’s heritage.

Railway Station

The villagers were initially not too keen on having a railway close to the village. On February 6, 1846, the Ashford to Canterbury section of the South Eastern Railway’s Thanet branch line was inaugurated.

Despite initial resistance from Chartham residents, which led to a clause in the original Act prohibiting a station in the village, the community eventually recognized the advantages of a direct rail link to London. Consequently, Chartham station was opened in 1859.

Nearby Hamlets

The village is in close proximity to several other communities, including Harbledown and Rough Common to the northwest, Blean to the north, and Thanington to the northeast, each with its own unique offerings and sense of community.

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Paper Making Industry

For over six centuries, paper making has been a significant industry, with the river serving as a crucial source of power for the mills until sometime prior to 1955. The mill itself, with a history dating back to the late 18th century, stands as a testament to the long-standing tradition of paper production in the area.

Although the village was once home to a paper mill renowned for producing tracing paper since 1938, this facility has ceased operations as of 2022.

Historic Dovecote

The dovecote at Burnt House Farm is distinguished not only by its architectural significance but also for its historical role, recognized as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It holds a special place in history for its use in dispatching homing pigeons to carry messages to and from prestigious figures, including the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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St. Augustine’s Hospital Asylum

Chartham also has historical significance in healthcare, being the site of the East Kent County Asylum, established in 1875 on a 120-acre plot. Originally serving as an extension for the overflowing Barming Heath Asylum in Maidstone, it was later renamed ‘St Augustine’s’ by the National Health Service in 1948 and remained operational until its closure in 1993.

St Augustine’s Hospital, once a prominent psychiatric institution located in Chartham, Kent, England, has a storied past. Established as the East Kent County Asylum in 1872, it served as the second county asylum in the region. With the advent of the National Health Service in 1948, the facility was rechristened as St Augustine’s Hospital.

The hospital’s reputation was marred in the 1970s by a scandal, which became the focus of an official inquiry investigating allegations of malpractice and mismanagement. Despite this challenging period, the hospital remained operational until its closure in 1993.

Today, the site where St Augustine’s Hospital once stood has been redeveloped for residential use, integrating housing into the landscape. Nevertheless, echoes of its history are preserved as several of the hospital’s original buildings still stand, serving as architectural reminders of the institution’s complex legacy.

St Augustine’s Hospital saw its services come to an end in 1993, aligning with the broader shift towards community-based care. Four years later, in 1997, the transformation of the site commenced, with a focus on residential development.

As part of this redevelopment, key structures such as the administration block, the iconic water tower, and the chapel were preserved for their historical value, while the remaining hospital buildings were demolished to make way for new homes.

In an effort to foster a fresh identity for the area, Canterbury City Council proposed a renaming of the site. However, the name St Augustine’s Estate has endured, maintaining a connection to the site’s historical roots while it embarks on a new chapter as a residential community.

Initially constructed with the capacity to accommodate 870 patients, the hospital underwent significant expansion over the years. By 1948, it encompassed a sprawling 300-acre estate complete with a working farm and 73 staff residences.

The expansion also included the addition of new blocks and enhanced facilities for patient care. This growth allowed the hospital to eventually serve up to 2,000 patients, reflecting its adaptation and scale-up to meet the increasing demand for its services.

The hospital evolved into a self-sufficient community, boasting a comprehensive range of amenities that mirrored a small village. It featured its own agricultural operations, various craft and trade workshops, a bakery, a butcher shop, and even its own fire brigade.

Spiritual and recreational needs were met with the presence of a church, a graveyard, and leisure activities including a cricket team and a musical band.

In this self-contained ecosystem, the male patients contributed to the upkeep by working on the farm, while the female patients were typically engaged in tasks within the laundry facilities or utilized their skills in sewing as seamstresses. This setup not only provided the necessary services for the hospital’s operation but also offered patients a sense of purpose and community.

This blog post was originally published on 18 January 2024 and last updated on 18 January 2024