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River Eden at Hever
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Hever Parish
Hever Parish in the county of Kent is in an area of outstanding natural beauty lying just below the Greensand Ridge and stretching south into the Weald, with the River Eden, a tributary of the Medway, flowing in an easterly direction through it. Adjoining Brasted Parish to the north, the towns of Westerham and Edenbridge to the west, with the villages Chiddingstone along the eastern boundary and Cowden to the south, it is a long and narrow parish, approximately five miles in length and on average about a mile wide, with a total area of 1239 hectares (3062 acres). Despite its proximity to London and Gatwick, it is predominantly a rural parish, both agricultural and horticultural, with no major roads but rather an intricate network of minor roads, country lanes, bridleways and footpaths, bordered by fields and woods. In fact, the excellent network of well maintained and clearly signposted footpaths provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy the diverse and attractive surrounding countryside. The parish is crossed through the middle by the Tonbridge-Redhill railway line whilst the Uckfield-London line, served by Hever Station, runs diagonally across its southwest corner. The parish comprises three separate villages, each with its own distinctive identity. The largest, Four Elms, is in the north, Hever itself, perhaps best known for its castle, is at the centre and Markbeech is in the south. Each village has its own church which together comprise the United Benefice of Hever, Four Elms and Markbeech, familiarly known as the Three Spires; each has its own village hall (Four Elms has a parish room as well); Hever boasts two pubs, Four Elms and Markbeech have one each; Four Elms and Hever each has a primary school and Markbeech has a nursery school. The centre of Markbeech distinguished by its mid-nineteenth century builings was designated as a conservation area in 1991. Hever Parish Council was formed in 1894 under the provisions of the Local Government Act of that year. It held its very first meeting on New Year's Eve (the minutes of which are reproduced in the Minutes Section under Your Local Parish Council on the Home Page of this website). We can only presume the meeting ended well in advance of the traditional festivities! It is interesting that the form and frequency of Council meetings has been very similar right up to the present day. In 1950, Hever Parish was divided into two electoral wards, Hever and Four Elms. It was only in 1987, however, following boundary alterations, that Markbeech, or to be strictly accurate the central part of it, became incorporated in Hever Parish as we now know it. It now forms part of the Hever Ward. The Parish Electorate in June, 2006, numbered 896. The Council, run on a non-political basis, currently has ten Councillors in office and is served by the Clerk. More information about the Council can be found by accessing the Your Local Parish Council Division on the Home Page. We hope you enjoy browsing our site. We are happy to receive any contributions, suggestions, comments, ideas, or even any constructive criticisms, you may have to offer. The Administrator may be contacted by e-mail at sarah.prall@tiscali.co.uk
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