31:
502:
meetings, and for the general business of it, the county house for this purpose, a poor low shed, is situated on the north side of it, where the sheriff continues to hold his county court monthly, and where he takes the poll for the members of the county, and for the coroners, the former of which, after a few suffrages is usually adjourned to
Maidstone; on a conspicuous hill on the opposite side of the heath, though in Maidstone parish, is the gallows, for the public execution of criminals condemned at the assizes.
47:
54:
501:
hat noted plain
Pinnenden, now usually called Pickenden heath, a place made famous in early times; the western part is in Maidstone parish, the remainder in this of Boxley. From its situation almost in the middle of the county or shire of Kent, this heath has been time out of mind used for all county
514:, a United Irishman, was arrested en route to France carrying a letter addressed to the French Revolutionary Government calling for an invasion of England. He was hanged at the heath on 7 June 1798. The last public execution on the heath took place in 1830, when John Dyke from the nearby village of
208:
643:
Precisely when the inquiry was held is unclear although many historians have determined it to be between 1075 and 1077. The trial itself lasted three days and ended in the partial recovery of properties for the church from Odo and others.
489:; alledging that it was a received opinion among many, that the body of a witch being burnt, her bloud is prevented thereby from becoming hereditary to her Progeny in the same evill.
485:, being legally convicted, were according to the Laws of this Nation, adjudged to be hanged, at the common place of Execution. Some there were that wished rather, they might be
851:
85:
1021:
540:
During the 19th century the heath was slowly enveloped by the growth of the town of
Maidstone, becoming a residential area at the junction of the main routes to
248:
608:
Lanfranc demanded that the matter should be settled by the nobles of Kent and
William I ordered that an assembly be formed at Penenden Heath for the purpose.
458:
describes the heath as a "gently sloping amphitheatrical declivity" and still, in the 19th century, the principal venue in the area for massing the populace.
112:
1005:
959:
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637:
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232:
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404:
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Today a residential suburb of
Maidstone, Penenden Heath is situated between arterial roadways at junction 6 of the
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46:
956:
933:
794:
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1120:
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78:
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was being played on the heath and it was the venue for at least two early examples of county-level matches.
739:
feature on the site. Heath Wood, which lies just beyond the suburb boundary, is a privately owned chestnut
225:
585:
William the
Conqueror's invasion of England in 1066. Several years after the invasion in 1070, Archbishop
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1049:
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as the place for the landowners of Kent to gather to receive notice in matters of administration at the
1592:
534:
279:
921:
part of a "HiddenMedway" blog entry dated 17 June 2007 describing the execution of 7 witches in 1652
719:, with some younger replacements, line the boundaries to the recreation ground. In addition, large
594:
381:
162:
1065:
918:
403:
led a mob gathered at
Penenden Heath to Union Street in Maidstone in an early skirmish during the
1170:
569:
365:
1037:
407:. The heath continued to be used as a gathering place in the 16th century, in particular during
1568:
1321:
1084:
836:
549:
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During the 18th and 19th centuries the heath remained a site for the execution of criminals by
284:
1341:
1266:
813:
373:
1472:
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1187:
747:
at the northern end of the recreation ground displays characteristics of heathland and dry
697:
629:
612:
408:
94:
30:
743:. To the north, dense planting of native trees separates the Heath from the M20 motorway.
618:(who represented the King), Lanfranc (for the Church), Odo de Bayeux (defending himself),
8:
1477:
1251:
676:
The heath has been recorded under several names. First appearing in the
Domesday Book as
622:
615:
486:
455:
432:
102:
1487:
1163:
785:
by W. Levison, The
English Historical Review, Vol. 27, No. 108 (Oct. 1912), pp. 717–720
477:
Anne Ashby, alias Cobler, Anne Martyn, Mary Browne, Anne Wilson, and
Mildred Wright of
138:
130:
875:
1648: The Second Civil War:Kent and Essex, British Civil Wars and Commonwealth website
1436:
1431:
1421:
1246:
557:
522:; it later emerged that he was innocent. New gallows were subsequently built outside
428:
1104:
752:
632:(an elderly bishop regarded as the authority on the laws of the realm), Richard de
523:
187:
703:
meaning "to punish", which may date the site as a place for executions before the
1371:
1206:
1147:
1072:
982:
963:
863:
855:
728:
704:
597:
and requested an inquiry into the activities of Odo (and Lanfranc's predecessor,
478:
412:
361:
341:
1185:
446:
In 1828 the heath was again recorded as the site of a large gathering to debate
399:
The heath continued to be used as a gathering ground for several hundred years.
1512:
1502:
1291:
1241:
1053:
906:
732:
553:
473:
on the heath between the 12th and 17th centuries. In 1652 it was reported that:
333:
626:
1581:
1537:
1381:
1351:
975:
944:
764:
590:
574:
541:
494:
385:
369:
307:
294:
1416:
1401:
1366:
1356:
1311:
1281:
1271:
1125:
1108:
892:
795:
Consuetudines Kanciae: A History of Gavelkind, and Other Remarkable Customs
661:
653:
611:
Various prominent figures in the country at the time were called including
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578:
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462:
1527:
1492:
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1336:
1331:
1316:
994:
810:
England's Topographer Or A New and Complete History of the County of Kent
393:
357:
213:
529:
The heath was also used for recreation. By the end of the 18th century,
1276:
824:
665:
353:
782:
431:
gathered an army of 7,000 men on the heath in May 1648 as part of his
344:, an area of which remains as a recreation ground with some woodland.
1547:
1532:
1497:
1411:
1306:
1286:
1261:
1221:
716:
657:
633:
602:
436:
400:
352:
Before the expansion of Maidstone, the heath was used as a venue for
329:
172:
1542:
1461:
1446:
1426:
1346:
1326:
1296:
1216:
736:
724:
586:
515:
424:
377:
1557:
1552:
1522:
1482:
1396:
1361:
1301:
1236:
1226:
1211:
1195:
748:
740:
598:
530:
507:
466:
154:
1507:
1391:
1256:
619:
545:
537:
played against England XIs on the heath in both 1795 and 1807.
482:
470:
1517:
1441:
1231:
760:
756:
660:
Sittingbourne Road. The area includes a variety of shops, a
552:, the heath was presented to the people of Maidstone by the
1191:
744:
601:) who had allegedly defrauded the Church (and possibly the
337:
120:
67:
937:
The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent
581:
and the primary landowner of the region subsequent to his
454:. A detailed report of the assembly on 24 October 1828 by
1088:
907:
The Witch-Cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology
720:
519:
1022:
The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians
891:
by Richard Lalor Sheil and Robert Shelton Mackenzie at
696:. It has been suggested that the name derives from the
340:. As the name suggests, it was developed on an area of
35:
The remnants of Penenden Heath, now a recreation ground
909:
by Margaret Alice Murray (Oxford) Clarendon Press 1921
360:. The most famous of these occurred shortly after the
640:, William de Arsic, Hamo Vicecomes and many others.
947:(1798), pp. 324–353. Date accessed: 6 December 2007
465:period through to the 19th century, and suspected
1579:
1141:Maidstone Green Spaces Strategy: Penenden Heath
1171:
976:John Dyke described at Bearsted village notes
1121:A Handbook for Travellers in Kent and Sussex
797:by Charles Sandys at page 304 (Google Books)
461:Executions took place at the site from the
1178:
1164:
411:in 1554; the heath was referenced made in
929:
927:
805:
803:
1010:
1136:
1134:
902:
900:
1580:
1113:
1101:Feudal Empires: Norman and Plantagenet
924:
800:
767:have been introduced in recent years.
53:
1159:
1006:The Lonely Planet: Guide to Maidstone
825:A Short History of the County of Kent
605:) during his tenure as Earl of Kent.
1131:
897:
469:are believed to have been tried and
448:the issue of "Protestant Ascendancy"
13:
1598:Defunct cricket grounds in England
957:The early days of Policing in Kent
715:Areas of heathland remain. Mature
14:
1614:
1020:, pp. 17–18; p. 101. Nottingham:
563:
433:unsuccessful defence of Maidstone
751:grassland. Other areas evidence
497:described the heath as follows:
52:
45:
29:
1094:
1078:
1059:
1043:
1031:
999:
995:Photograph of John Dyke's grave
988:
969:
950:
912:
680:, it has also been recorded as
647:
1085:The Conquest and its Aftermath
880:
868:
842:
830:
818:
788:
783:A Report on the Penenden Trial
776:
710:
452:Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829
421:George Goring, Earl of Norwich
388:of 1086 subsequently recorded
1:
770:
7:
671:
328:is a suburb of the town of
79:OS grid reference
18:Human settlement in England
10:
1619:
1186:Towns and villages in the
1066:Penenden Recreation Ground
1028:. Retrieved 4 April 2022.)
567:
450:before the passing of the
347:
1566:
1202:
1124:by John Murray (1858) at
888:Sketches of the Irish Bar
827:Kent Online Parish Clerks
518:was hanged for burning a
364:of 1066 and involved the
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1071:18 November 2007 at the
985:from Historic-Kent.co.uk
877:by David Plant 2001–2007
429:Second English Civil War
405:Peasants' Revolt of 1381
382:Archbishop of Canterbury
1603:Cricket grounds in Kent
1075:at GardenHistory.org.uk
1040:at CricketArchive.co.uk
1018:Cricket Grounds of Kent
981:9 November 2007 at the
854:15 October 2007 at the
570:Trial of Penenden Heath
423:and leader of the Kent
366:Trial of Penenden Heath
257:Maidstone and The Weald
1569:List of places in Kent
504:
491:
183:Postcode district
962:7 August 2007 at the
814:William Henry Ireland
556:in 1882 for use as a
499:
475:
419:about the rebellion.
374:William the Conqueror
1588:Borough of Maidstone
1473:Ringlestone (suburb)
1087:by Dr Mike Ibeji at
839:at TudorPlace.com.ar
630:bishop of Chichester
613:Geoffrey de Montbray
481:, and Mary Read, of
370:Odo bishop of Bayeux
368:, a dispute between
163:Sovereign state
1252:Boughton Monchelsea
1146:20 May 2011 at the
623:bishop of Rochester
616:bishop of Coutances
456:Richard Lalor Sheil
304: /
372:, half-brother of
249:UK Parliament
195:Dialling code
1575:
1574:
1437:Nettlestead Green
1247:Boughton Malherbe
919:Maidstone Witches
837:Wyatt's Rebellion
589:succeeded to the
558:recreation ground
409:Wyatt's rebellion
356:during the early
323:
322:
113:Shire county
1610:
1593:Villages in Kent
1322:Fairbourne Heath
1180:
1173:
1166:
1157:
1156:
1151:
1150:dated March 2006
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1105:John Le Patourel
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1026:Available online
1016:Milton H (1992)
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934:Parishes: Boxley
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638:Hugh de Montfort
524:Maidstone Prison
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308:51.288°N 0.536°E
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238:South East Coast
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88:
66:Location within
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577:was previously
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849:Act II scene I
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568:Main article:
565:
564:Penenden trial
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554:Earl of Romney
487:burnt to Ashes
441:Thomas Fairfax
415:'s 1875 drama
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334:English county
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945:Edward Hasted
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542:Sittingbourne
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495:Edward Hasted
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386:Domesday Book
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313:51.288; 0.536
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1312:East Barming
1282:Chart Sutton
1126:Google Books
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1109:Google Books
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1056:25 July 1880
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936:
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757:common heath
714:
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662:public house
654:M20 motorway
651:
648:20th century
642:
610:
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583:half-brother
579:earl of Kent
573:
548:. Following
539:
528:
512:James Coigly
505:
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435:against the
416:
398:
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325:
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15:
1528:Walderslade
1493:Staplehurst
1467:Ringlestone
1432:Nettlestead
1377:Laddingford
1337:Harrietsham
1332:Grove Green
1317:East Sutton
1190:borough of
711:Environment
627:Æthelric II
550:landscaping
463:Anglo-Saxon
427:during the
394:shire court
358:Middle Ages
354:shire moots
311: /
1582:Categories
1342:Hawkenbury
1277:Chainhurst
1267:Broomfield
1050:Cricketana
860:Queen Mary
771:References
717:lime trees
678:Pinnedenna
666:playground
634:Tunibridge
595:Canterbury
535:Kent sides
417:Queen Mary
390:Pinnedenna
296:51°17′17″N
139:South East
1548:Wormshill
1533:Weavering
1498:Stockbury
1452:Park Wood
1412:Maidstone
1372:Kingswood
1307:Downswood
1287:Chegworth
1262:Bredhurst
1222:Bedmonton
1207:Allington
1188:Maidstone
1052:from the
1038:Scorecard
939:, Volume
737:ash trees
694:Pennenden
686:Pickenden
682:Pinnenden
479:Cranbrook
437:Roundhead
425:Royalists
401:Wat Tyler
342:heathland
330:Maidstone
299:0°32′10″E
233:Ambulance
177:Maidstone
173:Post town
103:Maidstone
1543:Wichling
1513:Thurnham
1478:Sandling
1469:(hamlet)
1462:Pollhill
1447:Otterden
1427:Milebush
1347:Headcorn
1327:Frinsted
1297:Coxheath
1217:Bearsted
1144:Archived
1069:Archived
979:Archived
960:Archived
852:Archived
733:sycamore
729:hawthorn
725:chestnut
690:Pinenden
672:Toponymy
656:and the
587:Lanfranc
516:Bearsted
493:In 1798
439:army of
378:Lanfranc
95:District
1558:Yelsted
1553:Yalding
1523:Ulcombe
1488:Shepway
1483:Sandway
1397:Lidsing
1382:Langley
1362:Hucking
1302:Detling
1237:Bicknor
1227:Benover
1212:Barming
1196:England
1091:History
741:coppice
599:Stigand
531:cricket
520:hayrick
508:hanging
467:witches
348:History
332:in the
280:England
155:England
149:Country
1508:Teston
1422:Marley
1417:Marden
1402:Linton
1392:Lenham
1367:Hunton
1357:Horden
1272:Caring
1257:Boxley
1128:, p.87
701:pinian
664:and a
620:Arnost
546:Boxley
483:Lenham
471:hanged
384:. The
376:, and
209:Police
131:Region
86:TQ7757
1518:Tovil
1442:Otham
1407:Loose
1387:Leeds
1232:Bexon
765:broom
761:Gorse
698:Saxon
603:Crown
199:01622
1192:Kent
763:and
755:and
749:acid
745:Soil
735:and
692:and
658:A249
544:and
380:the
338:Kent
285:Kent
226:Kent
221:Fire
214:Kent
188:ME14
121:Kent
68:Kent
1107:at
1103:by
1089:BBC
1024:. (
943:by
862:by
858:of
812:by
721:oak
593:of
591:see
336:of
1584::
1194:,
1133:^
926:^
899:^
802:^
759:.
731:,
727:,
723:,
707:.
688:,
684:,
668:.
636:,
625:,
560:.
526:.
510:.
443:.
396:.
275:UK
1179:e
1172:t
1165:v
941:4
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