If you travel the A260 Canterbury Road up the hill from Folkestone, you will come to Hawkinge. It is so close to Folkestone I felt it should not only be included, but have a page by itself.
Hawkinge is best known for two things. Firstly the cemetery, that has probably touched the lives of most of us who have ever lived in the Folkestone district, speaking personally, I have lots of relatives buried there so it is a place I usually visit each time I go home.
Secondly the airfield once known as Hawkinge Aerodrome is known not only to the locals, but right across the country - in actual fact, my husband, a Canadian had heard of it too, possibly because he was a member of the RCAF, and knew it had been very active during the 2nd World War.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Hawkinge: Once a village and now a rapidly expanding commuter dormitory in southeast Kent.
The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3km) due East of the present village centre (roughly 51° 6'55.14"N, 1°11'2.00"E) and the modern village of Hawkinge was formed by the merging of Hawkinge and Uphill.
During World War II it was the closest operational airfield to France and was used during the Battle of Britain. The airfield is now the site of several new housing estates. The construction of these were hampered by the discovery of several pipe bombs which had been put there in the event of a German invasion to render the airfield useless to enemy airplanes. There are also many reminders of the war in and near the site of the original village. There is an aircraft museum and various pillboxes scattered amongst the farms. Walking south from the village past the museum it is possible to see stunning views of Cheriton, Folkestone and the Channel Tunnel complex.
White Horse Hill
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This is the house known as Reinden Wood Lodge, it was built in 1931. Architect W S Willan esq., F.R.I.B.A. Canterbury. One man has very fond memories of this place, as do many of the children who were at the Reinden Wood House Therapeutic Community. Click HERE to read more.
Not quite in Hawkinge, the Cat & The Custard Pot is in Paddlesworth, but my sister & brother-in-law who lived in Hawkinge made it their local for many years when they were alive!
On the wall of the 'Cat'
Then and Now! On the left is the old aerodrome in 1932, and on the right is The Churchill School and many houses built on that site recently. The Churchill School was thus named in recognition of Sir Winston Churchill who was Prime Minister when the Battle of Britain took place, in which the RAF stationed at Hawkinge played a huge role. Thanks to Alan Taylor for the photo of the aerodrome on the left.
I gleaned the photo above right, and most of the following from The Churchill School website:
The flat land in Barnhouse Lane, Uphill (now Hawkinge), on the hills overlooking Folkestone and the English Channel were used by the early aviators soon after 1900. The winds come straight off the sea and would have provided maximum lift for those flying machines made of spruce, mutton cloth and tubular metal. A Dutchman, Megone and local engineer, Victor Hunt, launched the "Mayfly" from the place where the school now stands. Scoot forward two generations from Victor Hunt, to his Grandson Nick Carter. His wife, Jennie Carter was instrumental in getting the school built, and was the first Head teacher.
In 1915, The Royal Flying Corps used the airfield as a landing ground and from there the Barnhouse Flying Field developed into RAF Hawkinge, a frontline base for refuelling and rearming fighters during the Second World War. When the Battle of Britain began in 1940, aerial battles involving Spitfires and Hurricanes over the area were commonplace. These aircraft are preserved in hangars at the Battle of Britain Museum in the village.
I have been unable to contact the school for permission to use this material, please contact me if you wish it to be removed.
This is pioneer aviator M. Henri Salmet on his Daily Mail sponsored aeroplane tour. I don't know that this photo was taken in Folkestone, it was one which could be obtained as a souvenir when he visited your town. This particular one was picked up in Folkestone. I have no idea where he landed, but it would have made sense if it was Hawkinge wouldn't it?
He visited Folkestone August 13, 1913, and on August 28th he had a mishap at Scarborough racecourse. He was flying low, heading for some bushes, intending to veer upwards at the last minute. Then suddenly he realised two women were standing in front of the bushes, even though no spectators were allowed in the flight area. He swerved to the side, and hit the bushes, both he and his passenger were fine, but the plane needed major repairs.
This plane was a 80 h.p. Bleriot monoplane.
Another reason why I think M. Salmet used Hawkinge is because I found this photo by doing a search. It says at the top 'London to Paris record flight, March 1912.'
At the bottom, it says 'Henri Salmet resting at Paddlesworth Farm.'
This photo is from a collection by Jenny Harries
This definitely fits into the 'Now' category. It is the new Community Centre inside which the Baptist Church rents space, they moved here from The Street.
Hawkinge now - Blackhorse Farm Caravan Site, located at 385 Canterbury Road.
The beautiful print called 'The Struggle Begins', by American artist Roy Grinnell, depicts the events of July 19, 1940, only three days before Hitler issued 'Directive No. 16', his preparation for the invasion of the British Isles. Stukas raided Dover Harbour. No. 32 Squadron Hurricanes were scrambled from their forward base at Hawkinge to intercept. Flying through the Dover flak, defenses to engage Stukas, the Hurricanes were set upon by 24 escorting Me 109's of the JG 51. At 11.43 am, Flt. Lt. Pete Brothers brought down one of the Messerschmitts, his first of the Battle of Britain. The long summer struggle to ultimate victory for the RAF's "Few" had begun.
This print is from Roy's Hawkinge series, which was first launched at the Duxford Air Show in 2002,and I would like to thank him sincerely for allowing us a glimpse of what Hawkinge is most famous for - The Battle of Britain.
If you would like to see more from this very talented artist, or if you would like to buy this one, which is signed not only by the artist, but also by Hurricane Aces Pete Brothers and Billy Drake. There is also a Hawkinge edition with additional signature of Ace Mike Cooperslipper. Please check his website at www.topgunart.com
From the newest school to the oldest. This is Hawkinge Primary School, located on Canterbury Road. The school was established in 1879 with a roll of 19 children and is still going strong. As the village developed so the number of children has increased and there are 289 in attendance now, the intake area includes the parishes of Hawkinge, Acrise, Swingfield, Densole and Paddlesworth.
The Churchill School, built 2001-2002
This information was gleaned from the Hawkinge Primary School website.
I have been unable to contact this school too, so will remove it immediately should objections be raised.
This is St. Michael's Church. On the left is a painting done by Petrie,H., F. S. A. in 1807. On the right is a 2002 photograph by Pam Connell, after it has become a private residence.
Still on the subject of churches, on the left we have St. Luke's in Hawkinge, and on the right St. Oswald's in Paddlesworth
1st Hawkinge Girl Guides - photo from the 1920's
Hawkinge Cemetery - next to the Crematorium are these war graves.
A beautiful peaceful place. One of those plaques on the wall has my mother's name on it.
photo courtesy the Hawkinge Gazette
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Oh look at these beautiful bluebells! We don't have them here in Winnipeg, and I really miss them. This photo was taken in Cobham Rough.
Picture courtesy The Whitecliffs Countryside.org.uk
The photo on the left, also supplied by Alan Taylor shows a horse being shod. He sent me a large enough scan that I could read some of the advertisements adorning the wall. There is Adolphus Davis, Folkestone, who was a furniture dealer The other ads seem to have been for property for sale. I can just make out 'Freehold Residence, 27 Connaught Road on one of them.
Here is what Alan told me about the photo:
"Uphill forge,seen here in 1907, was built in the mid-nineteenth century when the old forge at Ivy Cottage was no longer big enough to accommodate the increased work involved with farm implements. The last horse shod there was in the 1950's by Mr Setterfield. The building is now a garage."
Uphill was eventually absorbed into the village of Hawkinge.
Hawkinge c1912: In the foreground is a carpenters shop where the Methodist movement began. On the bank beyond are flint-built Ivy Cottages, now demolished. Next is the Union Chapel, the grocery stores, the baker's shop and Hope Lodge on the left. On the right can be seen the old smock mill.
This one is again thanks to Alan.
A closer view of the Union Chapel mentioned in the photo above right.
The Union Chapel, Uphill was opened on 29th May 1833 and the congregation celebrated the opening of their first permanent Union Chapel, which had cost £400. It remains today a symbol of dedicated worship in a growing community.
Here we have Then, Now, and Now again! The White Horse Inn, Uphill (White Horse Hill) can be traced back to 1802, when Henry Barber was the landlord. The pub is still there today, and has been refurbished. Hosts in 2012 were Barry, Barbara & Beverley Adamson, and it is great to see that they put on an updated porch in the style of the old one. Not sure who is the current Landlord now in 2025, but should they contact me, I will definitely add their name.
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I had the photograph on the left of Maypole Farm on the page already when Alan sent me the photo on the right of the same place. I had been very curious about it, as I knew nothing about it except it was obviously a very pretty place. This is what Alan says about it:
"Maypole Farm was formerly a public house until at least 1859. Today, while the house still retains its exquisite charm it is, unfortunately, hidden from view behind a high brick wall erected in 1984".
Now here's a few more from Alan Taylor's wonderful collection
'C' Flight: 25 Fighter Squadron, Hawkinge Aerodrome 9th January 1929.
Spitfire V'S - Hawkinge Aerodrome 1943 Squadron 'N' 91
The Parade Ground, Hawkinge Aerodrome. The postcard was posted, October 1955
Some of the information and photos on this page have been taken from the internet, as my Hawkinge collection of postcards is pretty sparse.
Wherever possible I have sought permission to use them, but have been unable to reach all of them. If your material is on here, and you object to my use of it, please drop me a line and I will remove it immediately.
Thank you so much for your contributions to this page Alan, it is very much appreciated!
Uphill Mill and Mill House: The mill was a medium-size smock mill on a brick base and had stood beside Mill Lane, Hawkinge from about 1790. The photograph was taken in 1926
Alan Taylor had this photo listed as Uphill Mill and dated 1926. He says it was owned by the Kettle family all its working life, but was considered uneconomic, and stopped working in 1914, finally to be demolished in 1931. However, see the message above, which was added later.
Page updated
March 2025
Alan says: "Chimney's Swept by Ultra Electric: I cannot find this one listed in the street directories, but I do remember seeing the van round the town. It was operated by husband & wife."
This is what Alan Taylor told me about this one: "Wingate Hill cottage: It is thought to have been a toll house, later being the residence of the quarry keeper part of which can be seen on the right. The cottage was better known as Granny May's. It was run by Morris Roach as a tea rooms until 1962 and was demolished in 1963."
Peter Hogben sent me these two, on the left is the RAF War Memorial and the war graves in Hawkinge cemetery.
Peter Hogben also sent me this one of the RAF camp gymnasium which he took shortly before it was demolished to make way for more housing.
So there is a project for someone - I would like a photo of whatever went up on this particular spot please! :-)
Thanks Peter!
I have recently heard from two people whose relatives have lived in this cottage. So wanted to share their stories with you:
1. My wife's family lived for a short time in the "God's Providence" cottage in Hawkinge. I believe the entire phrase is "God's Providence is my inheritance" and means the lucky man that found the gold cache was thanking God for the windfall that was now his. The version of the legend I heard then goes on to say the man used his gold to buy timbers from a shipwreck and those timbers were used to build the cottage.
During the modernization, the fireplace was taken out and they found a bigger fireplace. They took that out and found the original fireplace with ledges on each side so that four people could sit inside the fireplace at the same time their dinner was cooking.
The stairwell leading upstairs is so narrow that I had to turn sideways in order to use it. The door lintels upstairs were only 5 feet so people regularly hit their head if they got up in the night and didn't turn on the light. Mike Fritts, Minnetonka, Minnesota.
We are on a roll with Alan Taylor supplied photos. This is what he says about this one:
" Gods Providence, Uphill: (White Horse Hill) These cottages are still there, but have been modernised.
A legend regarding the three cottages said they were built by a traveller who found a cache of gold coin there. But the author Charles Igglesden wrote: the God's Providence plaque, originally over a rustic porch, is an inscription far from original and a quotation taken from a 15th century dwelling in Chester. The plaque dated 1718 may be authentic and might have adorned the dwelling originally built on the site.
The 1841 census lists John Court (1808-1863), a veterinary surgeon as living there.
2. My Dad worked at the airfield until it closed and was born in God's Providence cottages where my grandparents lived until Grandad Howland died. My Mum, Gladys Brisley and I lived with Mum's cousin at Hope Lodge, The Street until Dad was de-mobbed from the air force in 1945 when we moved to St Denys Lane. My Grandfather Brisley was killed by enemy action at the airfield in 1940, 2 days after my parents were married. He was repairing the hangar doors when an enemy bomb fell nearby. The Brisley family are one of the original Hawkinge families and they built many of the houses in the village including the village hall. Mike Howland, Swanton, UK.
Had a message in the guestbook from Rob C, who tells me this mill was not in fact Uphill Mill, it was the windmill at Hawkinge Hall. It outlasted Uphill Mill, but got very derelict and collapsed on a calm day in 1961. Thank you Rob, I appreciate the information.
The Officers Mess, which I assume has also been demolished now.
The cemetery & crematorium from above
Another aerial view of the cemetery supplied by Virginia Willoughby
The Garden of Remembrance is a lovely peaceful place to sit and reflect, which is exactly what I did when I came here and took this photo in 2014
Canterbury Road, showing the school and what I think might be an old bus
Canterbury Road & the school again, this photo supplied by the Hawkinge Gazette. Not sure which is older, but notice the telegraph pole has been moved from one side of the street to the other.
Roughly the same place in 2023, and as you can see, the Hawkinge Primary School is still thriving, and a crossing with Belisha Beacons has been added. Ever wondered why they are named thus? I did, so looked it up. They date from the 1930s: named after Leslie Hore- Belisha (1893–1957), British politician, Minister of Transport when the beacons were introduced. So now you know! :-)
The moveable telegraph pole has gone completely, and the street lighting has been improved. I see the school has lost its cupola from the top too, along with the cresting and finials, I wonder why?
Back to the aerodrome again. This is the Church of St. Hugh of Lincoln, both outside and inside. Has this been demolished too? Probably.
A badly faded photo of The Old Parish Church in 1908. Now is this also St. Michael's? I am not sure
This was sent by Virginia Willoughby, and she tells me it is of the Scout Hut
There is a wonderful memorial to the Battle of Britain at Capel-le-Ferne, which has an interpretive centre, a wall of remembrance, planes, statues and much more. You can check out the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust website HERE and if you are visiting the area, I recommend you go take a look, it's very impressive, and quite humbling.
I took the following photos back in 2011, but they have added a lot to the site since then.
Dedicated to Bob, who also died in the line of duty
The Memorial site may be at Capel-le-Ferne, but Hawkinge is where these fellows were based, and should definitely be on this page.
I looked for Maypole Farm in 2025 via Google, but couldn't find it. There is now a completely new housing estate called Maypole Close , and not far away is this beautiful older building called Maypole Lodge, not behind a wall, is this what used to be Maypole Farm?
and here is Hawkinge Hall Mill in the final stage of its life, looking pretty sad.
