Pictures of Aylesford

About Aylesford

Aylesford is a large village in Kent, 4 miles NW of the county town of Maidstone. It sits on the river Medway, and has many interesting and historic buildings including the 14th century Medieval bridge, and Aylesford Priory (The Friars) - founded in 1242 when the first Carmelites arrived from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.

Aylesford's picturesque bridge is a well preserved medieval multi-span bridge across the river Medway believed to date from the 14th century.

The Priory, or Friars, in Aylesford, Kent, contains one of the finest intact medieval courtyards in England, 17th-century thatched barns and a hostelry for pilgrims dating to the late 1200s. It is also described as having one of the best collections of religious modern art in England with its sculptures, paintings, stained glass and ceramics.

Their are several chamber tombs at Aylesford, just north of the village, the most famous being Kity Coty House, a chambered long barrow constructed around 4000BCE.

Aylesford Newsprint was a long-established major employer in the area and was the largest paper recycling factory in Europe.

The name Aylesford derives from ‘Ægel’s ford’ - Aegel being a chieftain who controlled the crossing of the river.

Related Articles

Picturesque Villages to visit near London

by poe