Didn’t dirt farms disappear long ago? Not in Horton Kirby and South Darenth. The name Horton Kirby comes from Old English. “Horu” means filth or dirt. “Tūn” means enclosure or farmstead. So, Horton Kirby means dirty farm or settlement. We’re here in Horton Kirby and South Darenth. This civil parish lies in the Sevenoaks district of Kent. It sits in the River Darent valley. It’s between Sevenoaks town and Dartford. The parish includes the villages of Horton Kirby and South Darenth.
Now, some smart-aleck knowledge. The parish was once just Horton Kirby. It was renamed Horton Kirby & South Darenth on April 1, 1979.
The area has a rich history. Saxon settlers called this area home. One of the earliest Saxon settlements was likely at Darenth. Evidence suggests many settlers were boat people. They fled tribal rivalries and natural disasters. Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Franks came to Britain. The Jutes settled mainly in East Kent. Tribes from Frisia came too. West Kent was settled by Saxon tribes and Frankish people. The River Medway divided the Jutish Kingdom of East Kent and the Saxon Kingdom of West Kent. By the seventh and eighth centuries, these divisions blurred. Intermarriage and trade led to a population known as Anglo-Saxons.
The Franks had a huge influence on Kent’s culture. Direct political links formed. Ethelbert married the Frankish princess Bertha. Frankish merchants created demand for Frankish goods. Many Frankish nobles settled in Kent.
Saxon cemeteries reveal much about daily life. Two important sites are at Horton Kirby. Workmen discovered the Horton Kirby cemetery in 1866. They were digging foundations for the ‘Homes for Little Boys’. They found sixty to seventy graves. Some contained grave goods. The Riseley cemetery dates from the fifth to seventh centuries. Council workmen discovered it in 1937. They were preparing ground for council houses.
The Dartford District Antiquarian Society excavated the Riseley site. They located five cremation and 110 inhumation burials. Over sixty graves had grave goods. Charcoal was found near some skeletons. This suggests burning played a role in burial ceremonies. Two graves contained animal remains. This may have been a final meal for the dead. Large pieces of flint were also found. This suggests flint had religious significance. Three double burials were found. Two were likely a man and wife. The other was a woman and child.
Grave goods included swords, spearheads, knives, and shield bosses. Also found were brooches, beads, buckles, and spindle-whorls. A small wooden bucket was also discovered. So was a glass cone beaker and a beaten copper alloy bowl. One outstanding find was a set of four gold pendants. There was also a silver pendant with a decorative glass center. Four amethyst beads were found. These would have been strung together to form a necklace. The amethyst beads came from Egypt. They were imported via the Rhineland. The gold pendants are decorated with pagan and Christian motifs. Two have crosses. One has a pagan motif of a man wrestling two snakes.
Horton Kirby parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin. The Normans built it around 1190. Masons from Rochester Cathedral may have worked on it. Horton Kirby Viaduct opened in July 1858. It was part of the East Kent Railway’s Strood to Bromley section. This was on the London Victoria to Dover main line.
Horton Kirby Paper Mills were founded by Henry Hall. This was at the beginning of the 19th century. Since June 2003, the mills have stopped processing paper. From dirt farms to paper mills and beyond, Horton Kirby and South Darenth has seen it all. The population in 2011 was 3492. This is a testament to its enduring appeal.