Historic churches · South East England
Fordwich
In or near Sturry.
Fordwich is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council. Its populat

Jo and Steve Turner — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Sturry · 0.7 km
- Free entry
About
Fordwich is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council. Its population increased by 30 between 2001 and 2011.
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Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Stodmarsh SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: BLEAN WOODS
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Fordwich is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council. Its population increased by 30 between 2001 and 2011.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The name Fordwich derives from the Old English fordwīc meaning 'trading settlement at the ford'. Fordwich is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as a small village. The town grew in the Middle Ages as a port for boats on their way upriver to Canterbury. All of the Caen stone used by the Normans to rebuild Canterbury Cathedral in the 12th and 13th centuries was landed at Fordwich. It later became a limb of the Cinque Ports. It lost its status as a town in 1880 when it no longer had a Mayor and Corporation. However, in a reorganisation in 1974, Fordwich was again made a town. Fordwich Town Hall was rebuilt in or shortly before 1544. The ancient Church of St Mary the Virgin, now redundant but…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2950, 1.1260
- County
- Kent
- District
- Canterbury
- Parish
- Fordwich
- Postcode
- CT2 0DH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Herne Bay and Sandwich
- Nearest railway station
- Sturry — 0.7 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Fordwich (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Alfred Palmer
Memorials & monuments · 0.0 km
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The Manor House
Historic houses · 0.0 km

Watergate Cottage Watergate House
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Bridge Over The Great Stour
Historic bridges · 0.1 km

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich
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Sturry
Towns & cities · 1.0 km
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Manor houses · 1.9 km
Nearby
Memorials & monuments · South East England
Alfred Palmer
Alfred Palmer — a memorial in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South East England
The Manor House
The Manor House — house in Fordwich, Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.
📷 5Historic houses · South East England
Watergate Cottage Watergate House
Watergate Cottage Watergate House — house in Fordwich, Canterbury, England, UK.
Historic bridges · South East England
Bridge Over The Great Stour
Bridge Over The Great Stour — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · South East England
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich — Grade I listed church in Fordwich, Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.
📷 5Holy wells · South East England
Garden Wall To Fordwich House
Garden Wall To Fordwich House — wall in Fordwich, Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.
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Hostels · South East England
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Cafés · South East England
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Fordwich?
- Fordwich is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CT2 0DH), in the parish of Fordwich.
- What is Fordwich?
- Fordwich is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council. Its populat
- How do I get to Fordwich?
- The nearest railway station is Sturry, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode CT2 0DH.
- Is Fordwich a protected site?
- Yes — Fordwich is part of the Stodmarsh SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the BLEAN WOODS National Nature Reserve.
- Is Fordwich free to visit?
- Yes, Fordwich is free to enter.
- How do I get to Fordwich?
- The nearest railway station is Sturry, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CT2 0DH.