Broad Oak Brede is a small village on the A28 midway between Hastings and Tenterden , whose history is very closely tied in with Brede . The village is first mentioned in a charter from the time of King Canute (1016 - 1035). The name is probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "bred" meaning broad. The valley below was completely filled with sea-water at the time and the valley was broad. It is believed that the valley was filled with sea water up to Sedlescombe . It is also possible that the name came from the "Brid" family who were masters of the mint at Hastings. The mint was founded by King Aethelstan in 924. In 1030 the Manor of Brede was granted to the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy, and until 1416, Brede was controlled by the Abbey. The church was built by the Benidictine monks from the Abbey around 1180. Very little of the early church remains, and the majority stems from the 12th century. An interesting tale from the 16th Century is of Sir Goddard Oxenbridge, a giant of a man who was said to eat a child every night for supper, and who could not be killed by metal, but only by wooden weapons. It is believed that this story was spread by the smugglers in the area, to scare away the curious from Brede Place, which was one of their bases. The story ends with a very drunken Sir Goddard being killed with a wooden saw at Groaning Bridge, between the Church and Brede Place. Brede was famous for its iron works, and manufactured cannon and shot until the late 1770's, when gunpowder was manufactured. Three major explosions racked the mills, and finally on 7th March 1808 Brede Gunpowder Mills was completely destroyed by a large explosion, ending its production.

Services

The local services are limited to a garage, public houses, and small shops with the main shopping town at Hastings about 10 miles away to the south, or Tenterden about 6 miles to the north east. The main bus route from Tenterden to Hastings goes through the village. The nearest trains run from Hastings or Battle on the main London line, providing 1/2 hourly services.

Views

The views all around are very picturesque, as Broad Oak(Brede) is on top of a hill. Going north towards Northiam , the valley is steep, and very pretty.