Dartford (borough)
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| Borough of Dartford | |
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 Shown within Kent | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Borough |
| Region: | South East England |
| Admin. County: | Kent |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 278th 72.77 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Dartford |
| ONS code: | 29UD |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2003 est.) - Density | Ranked 264th 86,154 1,184 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 94.5% White 2.7% S.Asian |
| Politics | |
Missing image Dartfordarms.PNG Dartford Borough Council http://www.dartford.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative + Independent |
| MP: | Howard Stoate |
Dartford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. It has a population of 80,000 and is part of the London commuter belt. The town of Dartford is the administrative capital: it is so named because the River Darent flows through the town northwards to the River Thames, the northern border of the borough. To the west lies the London Borough of Bexley; Sevenoaks Borough is to the south; and Gravesham Borough to the east.
It gives its name to the Dartford Crossing, a pair of road tunnels below the river, opened in 1963 and 1980 respectively; and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (October 1991) over the River Thames, linking Kent and Essex and forming part of the M25 motorway.
As of May, 2005, Dartford's MP is Howard Stoate (Labour).
The current borough was formed on April 1, 1974 as a merger of the old borough of Dartford, the Swanscombe urban district, and part of Dartford Rural District. The parish councils listed below also come within its authority.
Traditionally, the main industries were papermaking; Cement and Pharmaceuticals
Foolscap (or rather Fool's Cap' - from the watermark of a boy wearing a dunce's hat) paper was invented at the papermills in Dartford and was produced until the adoption of the ISO standard paper in the 1970s The high quality chalk from Swanscombe and Northfleet was used by Blue Circle for the production of Portland Cement until the end of the 20th Century. Indeed, many properties in the areas have special covenants stating that any chalk beneath the properties is the property of Blue Circle Cement! Until the 21st Century, Wellcome (later part of Glaxo SmithKline) had a large production facility on Temple Hill and was a major employer in the area.
With the reduction in these traditional industries, Dartford has become a dormitory town for commuters to London
A large area of heathland - Dartford Heath - lies to the west of the town. It is the original home of the Dartford Warbler, a small bird. North of the town are the Dartford Salt Marshes, bordering the River Thames where Joyce Green Hospital once stood. In August 1909 the Vickers Company tentatively diversifying into aircraft production at nearby factories in Bexleyheath, Crayford and Erith, began to create a rudimentary airfield at Joyce Green. A road name in this low-lying area commemorates one time Dartford MP Bob Dunn.
There are five railway stations in the borough: at Stone (Stone Crossing); at Longfield; at Greenhithe for Bluewater; Swanscombe (Swanscombe Halt) and Dartford (town centre). From Dartford there are three lines serving London and one to Gravesend and beyond; although, for many of the services, Dartford acts as the terminus. A new high speed international railway station is being constructed at Ebbsfleet that should serve commuters to London and Channel Tunnel passengers to Paris and Brussels by 2007. When this expensive route to St Pancras is operational Eurostar train services from Waterloo Station are likely to cease.
The Parish Church, Holy Trinity, is situated on the western bank of the River Darent where a hermit would conduct travellers across the ford. The chrch was originally 9th Century Saxon but with later Norman additions. In the 13th Century, a Royal Wedding was celebrated there, thus the choristers are entitled to wear scarlet cassocks. One of the more interesting items on display within the church is a brass plaque commemorating the work of Sir Richard Trevithick, the pioneer of steam propulsion, who lived and worked in the town for a number of years The graveyard is actually situated in St Edmund's Pleasance, on the summit of East Hill which gave rise to a traditional rhyme about the people of Dartford being '...buried above the steeple'. The church actually has no steeple, instead has a tower featuring a ring of 8 bells.
The oldest School in Dartford is 'The Grammar School', originally founded in 1576 by Sir Henry Havelock and William De'Ath. Originally located in the market, the school moved to it's current location in West Datford in the 19th Century. Perhaps its most famous student was a certain Michael Jagger who is now commemorated by the 'Mick Jagger Centre' for the performing arts which was opened in the late 1990s.
The Dartford Symphony Orchestra has been rehearsing and performing in Dartford since 1946, and presently the age range of the members is from 16 to 80. It is the orchestra's aim to provide an educational and stimulating environment in which all the players benefit, and to bring high-quality, polished performances of the world's greatest music to our audiences.
The result of the members' commitment is a regular season of symphony concerts promoted by the DSO which are well attended by audiences from Dartford and the surrounding area. The DSO is the resident orchestra at the Mick Jagger Centre for the Performing Arts, Shepherds Lane, Dartford, and has its own website.
Parishes within Dartford District
External links
- The borough website (http://www.dartford.gov.uk)
- Dartford Symphony Orchestra (http://www.dartfordsymphony.co.uk) Concert details; How to book tickets; Information for members
