Driving through this village the first things to impress are the fine Victorian Wesleyan Chapel and the Abbot's Fireplace tea rooms in the High Street. The Abbott's Fireplace, built in 1614, was once used, for a short while, by the Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars. On the opposite side of the road is the Rose and Crown which is part of a 16th Century coaching inn and still has a court room which dates from that period. However, the most attractive parts of the village lies off the main road.

Opposite the Abbott's Fireside is St. Mary's Road which leads to The Square which was given a Royal Charter in 1251 by the then Prince Edward, later to become Edward I. Many of the buildings here hide medieval timbers behind their tile hung facades. One such building is the King's Arms, once run by a relative of mine, Leo File. One of his daughters married a local boy, Leslie Ames who was to become the famous Kent and England cricketer.

The King's Arms, Elham.
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On the South side of the square is the Churchyard and the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin which dates from the 12th Century although much of the fittings inside the Church are late Victorian. It is built from flint and Kentish ragstone and has exterior alterations dating from the 13th to the 19th Century. Any genealogists visiting the village should also be aware that there is also a cemetery, also known as the new Chuchyard, at the end of Vicarage Lane which is at the South side of the Churchyard. It contains a lot of the more recent burials, including if memory serves me correctly, one or two war graves.

From the South East corner of the Square leads Duck Lane. For the railway enthusiast, at the bottom of Duck Lane is the place where the old Elham Valley railway line crossed the road and also where the Railway Station stood. There are two cottages here, known for obvious reasons as Railway Cottages, where my own Great Grandmother once lived. Another place of interest which still shows where the railway used to run is Parsonage Farm just North and East of the Village, now run by John Palmer, a family that has been farming in this area for several generations. Parsonage Farm is open daily and is a great place to leave the family while you take a look at the Churchyard!

On the West side of the village is The Row which runs parallel to the High Street. In The Row is the old Manor House, now converted into Updown Cottage and Well Cottage. Also, in this area is the kennels of the East Kent hunt and the hounds can be clearly heard throughout the village at times. The Hunt still meets in the square on Boxing Day mornings and the pubs are always open for this event. I never made Boxing Day dinner on time!

The East Kent Hunt
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Further to the North of Elham, at the Hamlet of Wingmore is the public house, The Palm Tree, which was one of the haunts of George Ransley and the Aldington Gang of smugglers. (See the page on smuggling for more information).