Charing, a small but lively village in the Ashford District of Kent, situated at the foot of the North Downs.
The village is sited on the Pilgrims' Way from London to Canterbury, and is one day's walk from Canterbury. There are a number of old manors located around the village, such as Newlands (now a horse stud) and Pett Place. The village had a market recorded in 1285, and a fair recorded in the fifteenth century.
Charing is still surrounded by farmland, but the good transport links and housing development since the 1960s have also led to the area becoming a popular commuter village for people employed in London. It is not your average commuter's village, it's a real villagy village - from morning to nightfall it is an active lively place to be and shop.
The village has a strong community life, and the inhabitants organise regular community and charity events and fairs.
On the High Street and surrounding streets you will find a wide variety of shops and services to cater for your every need. The Charing Business Association members have everything you need, right on your doorstep.
Its most famous building is the Archbishop's Palace, which lies by the church and was an ancient possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The palace was an important building in the diocese of Canterbury, and counted amongst its guests King Henry VIII. It has been a farmhouse for the last 300 years. In 2004, the palace was an unsuccessful contestant in the BBC television programme Restoration, where a number of potential restoration projects throughout the UK competed for funds. The church is said to contain the stone on which John the Baptist was beheaded.
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