Book on Parish History published

Brenchley and Matfield Local History Society has published a book on the history of the Parish, entitled "Brenchley and Matfield Revisited".

The villages of Brenchley and Matfield are fortunate in having, during the very early days of photography, a postman, William Hodges, whose hobby was taking photographs of the houses, the people, the villages and the surrounding countryside. This book not only shows many of Mr. Hodges' wonderful Victorian photographs, but also what the the same scene looks like today, together with many other interesting photographs taken from the Village Archive.

However this is not just a book of pictures: every reader, whether local resident, visitor or Kentish historian, will find a book full of the history of this lovely part of Kent, and it is hoped, a fuller appreciation of how this parish developed to become the place we know today.

The book costs £10 and is on sale at Brenchley Post Office. Alternatively, you can ring 01892 722339.

A chapter from the book on 'The Shaping of our Parish' can be read here. A few photographs from the book are shown below. Click on them to see larger images.