| Milstead | |
|---|---|
 Milstead in the Spring | |
  Milstead Location within Kent | |
| Population | 283 (2011 Census)[1] |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sittingbourne |
| Postcode district | ME9 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Milstead is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale in Kent, England. It is surrounded by the villages of Frinsted, Wichling, Doddington and Lynsted in Kent, England. It is the southernmost parish in the Sittingbourne area, and is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from Sittingbourne town centre, just south of the M2 motorway.
According to Edward Hasted in 1798, "the parish is but small, containing about 800 acres (320 ha) of land, of which about 50 acres (20 ha) acres are woodland." He refers to it as 'Milsted'.
The parish was under the dominion of the Manor of Milton Regis in the reign of Edward I.[2]
In 1870-72, according to John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, the parish comprised 1,216 acres (492 ha). Its population was 245 and it had 43 houses.[3]
Within the village is the Grade II listed Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross,[4] within the diocese of Canterbury, and deanery of Sittingborne.[2]
The village now contains around 80 houses and cottages of which nine are listed buildings, including 'Milstead Manor'.[5]
On 27 September 1940 at 12.25pm, during the Battle of Britain, a Hawker Hurricane from 242 Squadron RAF, piloted by Flying Officer Michael Homer, crashed into a thatched cottage in the village, after being badly damaged by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Flying Officer Homer flew with 242 Squadron based at RAF Duxford, commanded by Douglas Bader. Homer's body was taken from the wreck and buried in Godlingston Cemetery, Swanage, Dorset. His family planted a tree and mounted a plaque in his memory at the crash site. A memorial near Simel House, Minching Wood, which was unveiled in November 2007, is included as part of annual Remembrance Day services in the village.[6][7][8][9]
The village has a reasonably large village hall [10] which holds meetings for many clubs, such as woodturning and yoga, and also a monthly market. There is a village pub, the Red Lion,[11] and a village school, 'Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School'.[12] The village once had a small post office, but it was closed and became a private house.
See also
References
- ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ a b Hasted, Edward (1798). "Parishes". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. 65. Institute of Historical Research: 107–112. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Milstead, Kent". Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross, Milstead". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Milstead Manor, Milstead". www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ Search for family of wartime pilot
- ^ "Battle of Britain hero recalled at crash site". Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Battle of Britain hero recalled at crash site
- ^ Help needed for info on a 242 Squadron Pilot
- ^ Remembrance Sunday, Parish News of the united benefice of Wormshill, Frinsted, Bicknor, Bredgar and Milstead, October 2014.
- ^ "Geograph:: Milstead Village Hall © David Anstiss".
- ^ "Pub, Restaurant, food, Sittingbourne". theredlionmilstead.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary School, Academy (Including Free Schools) in Sittingbourne | RM School Finder". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
External links
Media related to Milstead at Wikimedia Commons
