Smarden Parish Council

Smarden - A Kent village

If you are planning an event for the Minnis or Cornes Meadow, please view our Policy, here: https://smardenparishcouncil.gov.uk/usefulinfo#formstart

Smarden is a vibrant, caring community with lots to offer. As you will discover from this website, we have many local organisations and activities and there is a strong community spirit. Smarden was awarded Village of the Year for the South East of England in 2008 and prior to this won many awards for the Best Kept Village in Kent.

Much of the village centre is a designated conservation area and the parish has 155 listed buildings. Rich in 14th and 15th century buildings which were part of the weaving industry, Smarden has an interesting history. In 1576 Queen Elizabeth I confirmed a Charter granted by Edward III in 1332 for a weekly market to be held in Smarden each Monday and for an annual fair of 5 days at Michaelmas. You can find out more via Smarden History Society and Heritage Centre at http://smardenheritagecentre.synthasite.com/

Our village has a Post Office & Store, Butcher's Shop, Gallery, Vintage Fusion bric-a-brac shop and Phipps Motors (MOT, servicing and repairs) as well as 3 pubs. We have a Primary School and Pre-school, a Toddler Group as well as offering a range of Adult Learning opportunities. Smarden has a modern Charter Hall, opened in 2007, and a fantastic Sports Pavilion opened in June 2017, as well as playing fields. We have a Church and Chapel too. Located in the heart of the Weald of Kent, the landscape is delightful with the River Beult and Dering Woods, numerous footpaths and open spaces to enjoy. You can find out more about all these and much more via this website.

The Parish Council meets monthly on the second Monday of the month in the Dadson Room of the Charter Hall at 7.00 p.m. Most months we also hold a Planning Meeting on the fourth Monday at 7.00. These meetings are public meetings and parishioners are welcome to attend. Please inform our Parish Clerk 48 hours prior to the meeting if you wish to speak.

We wish to thank all the people who help the Parish Council in any way through the year. They undertake a range of tasks from Flood Warden to planting and maintaining flower tubs, to litter picking and strimming. There are many people, too numerous to mention by name, but your support is really appreciated. Thank you also to all our clubs and societies and local businesses which contribute to making this such a vibrant village.

We hope you find our website useful. We always welcome feedback and suggestions for improvement as well as relevant content.