Gravesham

Gravesham (/ˈɡreɪvʃəm/ GRAYV-shəm) is a local government district with borough status in north-west Kent, England. Its administrative centre[1] and largest town is Gravesend, which was known as Gravesham in ancient times.

This article is about the district. For the town, see Gravesend. For the constituency, see Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency).

Gravesham

Borough of Gravesham
Borough & Non-metropolitan district
Gravesham located within Kent
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
Non-metropolitan countyKent
StatusBorough
Admin HQGravesend
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan District Council
 • BodyGravesham Borough Council
 • LeadershipMember of Parliament (Conservative)
 • MPAdam Holloway
Area
 • Total38.23 sq mi (99.02 km2)
Area rank216th (of 317)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total106,939
 • Rank223rd (of 317)
 • Density2,800/sq mi (1,100/km2)
 • Ethnicity
87.8% White
8.5% S.Asian
1.4% Black
1.3% Mixed Race
1.0% Chinese or Other
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code29UG (ONS)
E07000109 (GSS)
OS grid referenceTQ647740
Websitewww.gravesham.gov.uk
Kent coat of arms

Gravesham was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Gravesend with Northfleet Urban District and part of Strood Rural District, under the Local Government Act 1972. It borders the Borough of Dartford and Sevenoaks District to the west, the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling to the south, the Medway unitary authority to the east and the Thurrock unitary authority of Essex to the north, via the River Thames.

Gravesham is twinned with Cambrai in Hauts-de-France, France. The present borders of Gravesham parliamentary constituency are almost the same as those of the borough.

History

Robert Heath Hiscock LL.B., F.S.A., Chairman of the Gravesend Historical Society, in the foreword to his book, 'A History of Gravesend' (Phillimore, 1976) wrote:

"The name Gravesham appears only in the Domesday Book, 1086, and was probably the error of a Norman scribe. It was 'Gravesend' in the Domesday Monarchorum c.1100, and 'Gravesende' in the Textus Roffensis c. 1100. It is strange that this "clerical error" should now have been adopted as the name of the new Council".

Housing and architecture

Housing varies from mid rise to low rise, particularly in the villages. The district has 12 buildings listed in the highest category of the national grading system, Grade I, three of which are private residences:

  • Gadshill Place in Higham
  • Luddesdown Court in Luddesdown
  • Nurstead Court in Meopham

Cobham Hall, also in the highest architectural category,[2] is a stately home which was formerly the seat of the Earls of Darnley: since 1965 it has been an independent girls' school. Cobham Park is Grade II*-listed which is listed separately in the gardens and parklands category of classification approved by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport;[3] and includes the remains of a Roman villa.[4][5]

The other Grade I-listed buildings in the borough comprise its ancient parish churches.

Governance
See also: Gravesham local elections
Main article: Gravesham Borough Council

See also

References
  1. Reserved, Gravesham Borough Council - All Rights (1 January 2016). "Home". www.gravesham.gov.uk.
  2. Cobham Hall Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1000182)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  3. "Gravesham Listed Building Guidance Notes". Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1012964)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  5. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1000182)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 June 2014.

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