A Map,a Great Oak, notes on the Ackholt farm shooting ,other Incidents in a Kent Summer

You can see the map above, or view the satellite map here-

1/Aylesham-the new mining village- laid out in the shape of a pithead.
2/ Grandad's (William Clark) old farmhouse,now known also as Misery farm,marked simply as Ackholt( no longer a farm ) along the Aylesham road. Peas stolen at Ackholt farm, fires lit in hedge.
Ackholt is old English for oak wood.

3/ Ackholt Wood, where Reggie and Dad camped on Friday night, the 9th. Reggie shot August 10th 1929 in the early hours.

4/ I think the potato field they were guarding is between Ackholt and Aylesham.

5/ Ratling Court Farm, farmer: Mr Steed, where Arthur Conley was apprehended with a shillings worth of apples at 9pm ,11th August. Three unnamed miners said to have been caught stealing apples and cautioned.

6/ Old Court farm- Mr Baleden has shooting rights. Old court field- where Bernard Allen was caught poaching on August 16th.Cmdr O'Brien of St Albans Park's game keeper helps catch him. What was the gamekeeper doing there? Was Cmndr. O' Brien the landowner? Where was St Albans Park?

7/ Church street farm: Farmer Mr Baleden- Grandad said Mr Baleden had lost sheep and poultry to theft and trespassers' dogs..


7/Godnestone Park, home of Lord FitzWalter, Henry Plumtre. Magistrate in the apple stealing case.
8/Lord FitzWalter owned Bushy Ruff(Rough on the map, but I like the DoverExpress Spelling) where Basil Newington was caught poaching on August 13th.

Lord FitzWalter was allowed to take on the ancient title two years before, the FitzWalter line died out about 170 years previously- he was related by marriage to the old fitzWalters.

Incidentally,Lloyd George's government created more peers and knights then any other before or since, and it was widely believed that some titles were brought.

The family had some interesting ancestors, one was a Sheriff of Notingham centuries earlir, another was said to have inspired Jane Austen's Lady Catherine de Burgh.

Mrs Plumtre, who presented prizes at the flowershow, held in Grandad's Snowdon meadow, must have been a relation of his. Date of flower show still unclear, press article suggests the 10th, but may have been the 3rd. Overall winner disqualified for cheating.
9/ Snowdon meadow - between Snowdon and Ackholt wood?

An unnamed farmer said to have lost his onion crop to depredators.

10/Also see Fredville park. Doesn't seem toifigure in the story- but some really great oak trees. Scroll down for the trees.This is the Oak Belt of England. Another picture of the oak named Majesty, well named- magnificent girth but not a folksy, huggeable tree. Fredville park is now owned by Lord FitzWalter , viewing by appointment only.

I guess it's expat nostalgia, but I love an English ordnance survey map. Where else could Love Lane lead to Muddy Bush? (upper left)