insideKENT Magazine Issue 83 - February 2019 | Page 61

TOWNSPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT ON
WYE
WYE… WELL, WHY NOT? WYE IS A QUINTESSENTIAL KENTISH VILLAGE WITH ALL THE
CHARM THAT COMES WITH IT. MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS, LOCATED IN THE COUNTRYSIDE,
PEACEFUL YET WITH A THRIVING LOCAL COMMUNITY – IT WAS EVEN FEATURED IN THE
PERFECT VILLAGE TELEVISION PROGRAMME IN 2006. BEING JUST FOUR MILES FROM
ASHFORD, IT WANTS FOR NOTHING IN TERMS OF FACILITIES, AMENITIES, GREAT SCHOOLS,
PLENTY OF SHOPS AND FANTASTIC TRANSPORT LINKS.
WYE NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE
History in Brief
For a small village, Wye has a long and fascinating
history. It started in the Mesolithic era (9600-4000BC)
with evidence of hunters from that time making their
camps along the River Stour that runs through the
village. Archaeological discoveries also include
Neolithic (4000-2500BC) and Bronze age (3000-
1200BC) finds that show the area had once been
covered in lush forest which was removed to enable
the settlers to create their homes.
William the Conqueror had a stake in Wye too,
gifting the Manor of Wye to Battle Abbey in 1067.
At that time, the Domesday Book shows us that
there was a relatively large – and growing –
community in Wye, something that has been one of
its main features ever since.
The area became an important place to settle as it
is the connecting point for a variety of routes across
the North Downs, and the River Stour is a major
part of this. For trade and travel, Wye ticked all the
right boxes for many an ancient people.
The name Wye comes from the Old English ‘Weoh’
which means ‘shrine’, and this leads historians to
believe that the area was once a place where pre-
Christians worshipped their gods.
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