Location
51°13'N
0°29'E
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Coxheath
(Soldiers and Duels)
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Origin of Village Name |
The name is possibly derived from the fact that a large number of soldiers
were garrisoned on the heath from 1776 for 40 years.
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General Details
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Coxheath is a long village straggling along the Boughton Monchelsea to
Yalding road. Until the 1700's the heath was a deserted tract of land
which was the haunt of highwaymen.
The deserted heath remained that way until in 1756, twelve thousand
Hanoverian and Hessian soldiers were encamped on the heath. This large
influx of foreign soldiers caused bad feelings within the local area.
Again in 1778 a further fifteen thousand English troops were camped
at Coxheath. They were awaiting shipment to the Americas to subdue
the colonies who were revolting. On 18th September a mock battle was held
on Barming Heath with the Grenadiers, Light Infantry and Dragoons involved.
On 6th October a dual was held between two officers in a field near Loose ,
with one of the officers being seriously injured. George III
reviewed the troops on the 3rd November in the village.
Another dual took place in 1779, when a Captain charged a Lieutenant
with mutiny, the unlucky Captain was killed.
1797 saw the troops in the village consisting of units serving in India.
With the threat of invasion from the French under Napoleon in the early
1800's, a beacon was erected on the hill at Coxheath, this was one of many
which were designed to give warning of impending invasion. Troops were
encamped on the heath, ten thousand of whom were there in 1804 when the
Duke of York reviewed them.
In June 1814 the army camp was closed by Act of Parliament.
The village which grew up to service the army camp is now a residential
and farming area that acts as a satellite village to the County Town of
Maidstone .
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Services
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 Coxheath is a small village with only a few local shops and pubs.
The nearest trains can be caught at Maidstone about 4 miles north east,
or the branch line at Yalding or East Farleigh about 2 miles away to
the west and north respectively.
The main shopping centre is at Maidstone , with a wide range of shops
and supermarkets.
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Views
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 Coxheath is a long village straggling along the Boughton Monchelsea to
Yalding road. To the north across the valley are the outskirts of
Maidstone, and further in the distance the North Downs.
To the south of the village off the main road you can see the rich
farmland of the Weald.
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