Hawkinge

Hawkinge

The Kent Battle of Britain Museum in Hawkinge
Hawkinge
Hawkinge shown within Kent
Population 8,002 (2011)[1]
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town FOLKESTONE
Postcode district CT18
Dialling code 01303
Police Kent
Fire Kent
Ambulance South East Coast
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament

Hawkinge (/ˈhɔːkɪndʒ/ HAW-kinj) is now a town and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village centre (roughly 51° 6'55.14"N, 1°11'2.00"E);[2] the modern, much larger, village of Hawkinge was formed by the merging of Hawkinge and Uphill.[3] Walking south from the village past it is possible to see stunning views of Cheriton, Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel complex.

World War II

During World War II, RAF Hawkinge was the closest operational airfield to France[4] and was used during the Battle of Britain. The airfield is now the site of extensive residential development, which has expanded Hawkinge's population to 9,000. Depending on further building, the population is still expected to grow to 11,000. The construction of the houses was hampered by the discovery of several pipe bombs, put there in the event of a German invasion to render the airfield useless to enemy airplanes. There are several reminders of the war in and near the site of the original village; the Kent Battle of Britain Museum and various pillboxes are scattered amongst the farms.

Hawkinge Cemetery is near the site of the aerodrome and most of the 95 Second World War casualties buried there were airmen. About a quarter were killed during the Battle of Britain. Most of the war graves are in a special plot east of the chapel, including 59 German graves, which are together in a group at the south-eastern corner.[5]

Governance

The local MP is Damian Collins, having previously been represented by the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard Q.C. (Conservative) since 1983. On Kent County Council, Hawkinge forms part of the Elham Valley Division, represented by Cllr Susan Carey (Conservative). On the Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Hawkinge is covered by the North Downs East ward, represented by Cllrs David Godfrey, Philip Martin, and Stuart Peall (all Conservative). Hawkinge Town Council consists of thirteen elected members; Eleven Conservatives, one UKIP and one Independents.[6]

Transport

The A260 which runs from Folkestone to Barham, where it meets with the A2 to Canterbury originally ran through the centre of the village, before it was replaced with a new bypass opened by Michael Howard on Monday 9 July 2007. The southern section, built in the early 2000s, leads from the A20 to a roundabout where it meets with the northern section. This new section carries traffic around the village centre onto the existing road.

Michael Howard opening the Hawkinge bypass

There is a regular bus service that connects the village to either Folkestone or Canterbury. These are normally run by Stagecoach and have route numbers 16, 16A & 73 (Easy Access Bus).

Shops and services

There are two local churches. The Anglican parish church is St Luke's, the ancient parish church of St Michael's having been declared redundant in 1980;[7] The Baptist Church, having sold its small building, meets in a modern chapel on the first floor of Hawkinge Community Centre.[8]

There are two primary schools: Hawkinge Primary School in the old village;[9] and The Churchill Primary School;[10]

The village publishes its own online newspaper, the Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News[11]

The village also has its own local Scout Group; 3rd Hawkinge.[12] Over the years, the group has participated in many events in Hawkinge from litter picks to the Hawkinge Fun Day.

Hawkinge has a Tesco Express, a Lidl store, a restaurant called The Mayfly and two pubs called The White Horse[13] and The Cat and Custard Pot.[14] It also has a doctor's surgery, pharmacies Hawkinge Pharmacy and Vision pharmacy, and dental surgery. There is an Indian takeaway, a Chinese takeaway which was voted 'Best Take-away Cuisine of 2010' by Folkestone and Hythe Council, and a kebab/fish and chip shop. There is also a Hairdressers called Lloyd Adams and a Barbershop called Lloyd Adams Barbers and a beauticians called Terlingham Manor Beauty Spa. New shops have opened in the newly constructed area next to the Mayfly pub and Lidl supermarket.

References

  1. ↑ "Town population 2011". Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Historical notes on Hawkinge
  3. ↑ Unofficial Hawkinge Website Archived 2005-08-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ KENT BATTLE OF BRITAIN MUSEUM About Former RAF Station Hawkinge Archived 2013-09-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ CWGC Cemetery Report.
  6. ↑ Hawkinge Parish Council Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Hawkinge old church Archived 2009-08-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ Hawkinge Baptist Church Archived 2009-08-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Hawkinge Primary School
  10. ↑ The Churchill Primary School
  11. ↑ Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News
  12. ↑ '3rd Hawkinge Scout Group'
  13. ↑ 'The White Horse Inn'
  14. ↑ 'The Cat and Custard Pot'

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