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Hildenborough Hildenborough is a village and rural parish in the District of Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, located two miles north-west of Tonbridge and five miles south-east of Sevenoaks. The village lies in the River Medway valley, near the North Downs in an area known as The Weald. Origin of name Hildenborough was originally just Hilden or, in its 13th century form, Hyldenn. The elements here are Old English hyll hill and denn woodland pasture, so the sense is of a pasture on or by a hill. By 1349 the name had become Hildenborough, having acquired the affix from burh manor, borough. Communications Hildenborough stood on the first road in Kent to be turnpiked in 1710: the highway from Sevenoaks through Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells; carrying much traffic en route to the Wells. A number of inns sprang up to service this traffic, including the Hilden Manor and the Half Moon. Today the village, along with Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, is by-passed by the modern A21 road. The railway was late coming to Hildenborough: the South Eastern Railway did not open its direct line from London until 1 May 1868. The six-mile gradient up to Sevenoaks takes its name from the village. The railway station was situated close to the existing houses at the time, which is now about one mile from the village centre. Religion By the 1840s, the Parish of Tonbridge was approximately 10 miles long and 2 miles wide. A circular letter dated 26 September 1842 explained that, "as the Parish was so large, a great many people were unable to attend the church nearby Tonbridge." It was proposed that, "a new church should be built for the people living in the Hildenborough district." Dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, the church was consecrated on 9 July 1844. http://www.touch2000.org.uk/churches/stjohns In the 1990s a "church plant" was established by St John's to serve the southern part of the village. This congregation meets weekly in Stocks Green School. Modern Hildenborough Sackville School, a private educational establishment, now occupies Foxbush House, built in 1866 for Charles Fitch Kemp, a London chartered accountant, who had an ambition to be a country landowner. The house was subsequently sold twice before the second World War, when it was occupied by the military. It was used by various educational establishments from 1949; Sackville School was established in 1987 and its grounds are a Registered Historic Park. Apart from one large financial institution Fidelity Investments having set up its UK Headquarters in Hildenborough, the village is primarily based on small businesses; and it is very much a commuter area with its good communication links to London. Population Hildenborough had a population of 4,600 in 2001. Local celebrities Hildenborough is the family home of Olympic double-gold medallist Kelly Holmes. Other famous residents include Sir Henry Cooper and, according to local legend, one of the participants in the Great Train Robbery. External links
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