Fordwich and it's Link to Canterbury Cathedral.

Hi folks,

continuing on from the last blog I go into the important history of Fordwich and its link to Canterbury Cathedral.

This is the Town Hall, built around 1480 and still used today for its Town Council Meetings, note the old Stocks still in place to the right and the Gail to the left which is no longer used.

The Gail was last used to confine two poachers convicted in 1855, it was a very dark large wooden box really with the only light coming in from the shuttered window to the right.

The room above the Gail was used by the Jurats to administer justice for the area.

The Ducking Stool was displayed on the rafters but was originally used on the hoist over the River Stour and mainly used for women who had dishonored their men. 

By the Ducking Stool was displayed the Town Drum.

This is Val who very kindly opened the Town Hall for me, she is standing behind the Prisoners Bar looking towards the Jurats' Bench.  The prisoners were brought up the stairs behind her from the cells to have Justice administered.  Behind Val is a small room used for deliberation of the Jurors.

In the Jury Room was a flap with a hole for the Jury Members to relieve themselves as they were not permitted to leave until after the case was finalised.

Against the wall stood the Town Trunk used to keep documents (not like today where we have hard drives).

From the River Stour at the back of the Town Hall is the hoist that was used with the Ducking Stool and also for unloading the Stonework for building Canterbury Cathedral. The stone was shipped across the channel from Normandy and up the Stour  The stone was then transported by horse and cart into Canterbury, a lot of stone.
The trade was killed by the opening of the Canterbury to Whitstable Railway.  The river was much wider and barges were still trading up to Fordwich late into the 1800's

The River Stour, the end of the journey for shipping as the river was too narrow to proceed any further so goods and stone were unloaded here. hence two Pubs in the town

Lastly a view of The Fordwich Arms sign together with the St Mary's the Virgin church.

Hope you enjoyed the history lesson of this quaint little village outside of Canterbury which did so much in the building of the Cathedral.

Thanks for looking,  Mike