Prehistoric Kent

The discovery of stone tools at the Lower Palaeolithic site of Chequer's Wood and Old Park, near Canterbury, shows the earliest signs of human presence in Kent, dating back to 712,000–621,000 years ago. The early humans who made these tools were likely Homo antecessor or Homo heidelbergensis. This site is the oldest confirmed location in northern Europe with Acheulean stone tools. The Old Park site is also important because it holds evidence of early Neanderthal groups visiting Britain during the Anglian Glaciation, a major ice age event 2 million years ago. These visits likely occurred during short, warmer periods within this larger ice age.

The Swanscombe skull, found at Barnfield Pit, a quarry in Swanscombe, is the oldest human skull discovered in Britain. Only three pieces of the skull remain, all from the back of the head. Chris Stringer believes these fragments belonged to a female and may be linked to a group of early humans related to Neanderthals. The skull is dated to the Hoxnian Interglacial, a warm period 400,000 years ago.

In June 2023, researchers from UCL Archaeology Southeast found over 800 stone tools, including two large handles more than 300,000 years old, on a hillside near Medway Valley in Frindsbury, near Strood. At that time, the area was a natural landscape with forests, rivers, and animals such as red deer, straight-tusked elephants, lions, and horses.

During the Neolithic period, the Medway megaliths were built. Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area includes discoveries like the Ringlemere gold cup.

Iron Age Kent

The name Kent likely means "rim" or "border," similar to words like "cant" in English and "Kant" in German. This suggests that the eastern part of the modern county was once considered a "border land" or "coastal area." Experts in ancient languages believe the word for Kent came from an ancient language root called *kanthos. This root could not directly enter Germanic languages because of the "K" sound, so it probably passed through another language, such as Celtic or Latin. Julius Caesar wrote about the area as "Cantium" in 51 BC, though he did not record the name the local people used for themselves. He described local groups with leaders he called "kings," which honored them. In his writings, Caesar noted that the people of Cantium were among the most civilized in Britain, living in a coastal region with customs similar to those of the Gauls. Studies of pottery show that the area east of the River Medway was home to the Belgic people, who were part of a shared economic and cultural region that included southeast England and areas across the English Channel.

The western part of the modern county was home to other Celtic tribes during the Iron Age, including the Regni and possibly another group known as the Wealden People, who lived in The Weald. In the late pre-Roman Iron Age, a few British kings are known by name, such as Dumnovellaunus and Adminius. An Iron Age settlement is believed to have been the foundation for the later town of Folkestone. A hillfort from that time is thought to have been the early version of Dover Castle.

Roman Kent

Richborough Roman fort is now located two miles inland from the sea, surrounded by marshes in east Kent. However, it was possibly the main place where the Romans entered Britain during their invasion around AD 43. They built a strong base there and celebrated their success by constructing a triumphal arch. The cross-shaped foundations of this arch still remain at the site, which is now protected by English Heritage.

During the 3rd century, Roman Britain faced attacks from Saxon and other raiders. This made it necessary to strengthen the once-thriving commercial port of Rutupiae. Workers dug triple ditches and built ramparts around the area (these features are still visible near the triumphal arch at Richborough). After about ten years, the defenses were completely rebuilt. Richborough was then surrounded by a wall of towered stone buildings and outer ditches, making it one of the most important Saxon shore forts. It remained occupied for a long time, and evidence shows a large Roman population lived there in the early 5th century. Some people worshipped in an early Christian church found in a corner of the fort.

Early Medieval Kent

After the Romans left, many Germanic people moved into Kent. These groups brought the Old English language to Britain. Some Romano-Britons likely stayed in the area, as they influenced the region’s name (recorded as Cantia or Cent) even after Germanic tribes settled there. East Kent became part of the Jute kingdom during the 5th century (see Kingdom of Kent). The early Medieval people of Kent were called the Cantwara or Kentish people. Their capital, the only town called a metropolis by Bede, was Canterbury.

Canterbury is the religious center of the Anglican faith and the main church area for Saint Augustine of Canterbury. Augustine is traditionally believed to have brought Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England, arriving at Ebbsfleet and Pegwell Bay on the Isle of Thanet (northeast of Kent) in the spring of 597.

A lathe was an ancient way to divide Kent into areas, possibly starting during the Jute settlement. These divisions still exist today but are no longer used for administration. In 1086, the Domesday Book recorded Kent as having seven lathes: Aylesford, Milton, Sutton, Borough, Eastry, Lympne, and Wye. These lathes were important for administration, law, and taxes for about 600 years. By 1295, the number of lathes had decreased to five: Borough and Eastry merged to form the Lathe of St. Augustine, Lympne became the Lathe of Shepway, and Milton and Wye merged to form the Lathe of Scray. Each lathe was divided into smaller areas called hundreds, though the exact roles of lathes and hundreds remain unclear.

Medieval Kent

After William of Normandy invaded Britain, the people of Kent chose the motto "Invicta," meaning "unconquered," and claimed they scared the Normans away. This claim was supported by the fact that the Normans quickly marched to London without defeating the Kentish lords and peasants, who constantly attacked them at every step. Kent did not accept Norman rule until the Normans recognized and protected their rights and freedoms. As a result, Kent became a special type of county called a County Palatine, ruled by William's half-brother, Odo of Bayeux. This county had special powers usually given to areas near Wales and Scotland. A decade after the Norman Conquest, Penenden Heath near Maidstone was the site of a trial involving Odo of Bayeux. The trial, ordered by William I at the request of Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, tested the Earl's claimed land ownership in Kent. This event showed an effort by Saxon landowners to reclaim their rights and privileges before the Norman takeover.

Gavelkind was a type of traditional law in England. After the Norman Conquest, this system was replaced by feudal law in most of England, which gave land to the oldest son. However, in Kent, Gavelkind meant that when a man died, his property was divided equally among his surviving sons. This led to land being split into smaller and smaller pieces. Because of this, the strip farming system used in open fields was never used in Kent. This supports the "Invicta" legend, showing that Normans had to respect Kentish rights and laws, especially among smaller landowners and common people. Gavelkind was finally ended by the Law of Property Act in 1925.

Canterbury became an important pilgrimage site after Thomas Becket, who was killed in 1170, was declared a saint in 1246. Canterbury's religious importance also inspired Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, a key moment in the development of written English and set in the countryside of Kent. Rochester had its own martyr, William of Perth, and in 1256, Lawrence, Bishop of Rochester, traveled to Rome to request William's canonization.

During the medieval period, Kent saw several uprisings, including the Peasants' Revolt led by Wat Tyler and later, Jack Cade's rebellion in 1450. In 1553, Thomas Wyatt led an army from Kent into London to oppose Mary I.

In addition to many fortified manor houses, Kent has several traditional castles, such as those at Allington, Chilham, Dover, Hever, Leeds, Rochester, and Walmer. These castles were built to protect the coast, the River Medway, or routes into London.

Early Modern Kent

In 1547, the Royal Navy used the River Medway by renting a storehouse on "Jyllingham Water." During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), a small dockyard was built at Chatham. By 1618, storehouses, a ropewalk, a drydock, and homes for officials had been constructed downstream from Chatham.

By the 17th century, conflicts between Britain and the Netherlands and France led to more military activity in the region. After a Dutch naval attack on Medway shipyards in 1667, forts were built along the coast. Kent also played an important role in the English Civil War around 1648.

During the 18th century, wars with France were common, and the Medway became a key location for naval operations against the Dutch and French. When military actions shifted to the Atlantic, Portsmouth and Plymouth took over these roles, while Chatham focused on building and repairing ships. Many Georgian-era naval buildings still exist today. In times of peace, the workforce at Chatham Dockyard was reduced to one-fourth of its wartime size.

Chatham Dockyard built over 400 naval ships, including HMS Victory during the age of ships of the line, ironclads like HMS Africa (1905), and 57 submarines. The keel of HMS Victory was placed at Chatham on July 23, 1759. During World War II, Chatham refitted 1,360 warships, such as HMS Ajax. Charles Dickens' father worked at the dockyard, and Chatham, Rochester, and the Cliffe marshes appeared in many of Dickens' books.

To show the area's military importance, the first Ordnance Survey map was created as a 1-inch map of Kent, published in 1801. Work on the map began in 1795.

In the early 19th century, smugglers were active along Kent's coast. Groups like the Aldington Gang brought spirits, tobacco, and salt to Kent, while sending wool to France across the English Channel.

On August 28, 1830, a large uprising by rural workers began in East Kent, with the destruction of threshing machines in the Elham Valley. By early October, over 100 machines had been destroyed. This event, later called the Swing Riots, spread across southern England and East Anglia. The unrest, especially concerning conditions in workhouses, led to the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.

Recent discoveries

In May 2019, the Kent Archaeological Field School discovered a Roman building measuring 150 by 50 feet (46 by 15 meters) at Abbey Farm. Dr. Paul Wilkinson explained that the building had broken stone walls covering large numbers of box flue tiles, which were used to move hot air along indoor walls. The site also included glazed terracotta floors, an undisturbed underfloor with hypocaust heating, and many ceramic roof tiles. The plaster on the walls was mostly white, but in the hot sauna room on the north side of the building, plaster walls with green, red, and yellow colored panels were found.

Kent and London

As London grew, especially in the 1800s, it spread into northwest Kent. Towns in this area became more like cities and were seen as suburbs of London. This idea became stronger when local government areas in the region were created that were more connected to London than to Kent.

An area called the County of London was formed by the Local Government Act of 1888. This new county included parts of northwest Kent, such as Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, and Lewisham. Penge was added to the County of London from Surrey by the London Government Act of 1899.

The London Government Act of 1963 expanded Greater London in 1965 to include more areas in northwest Kent. The Local Government Act of 1972 ended the old system of local government in 1974 and created a new county of Kent, divided into districts. It also removed Canterbury as a county borough, making it a district under the new county council. Areas that had been taken from Kent in 1888 were combined to form the London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Two more boroughs were created: the London Borough of Bromley, which combined Bromley, Beckenham, Chislehurst, Orpington, and Penge, and the London Borough of Bexley, which included Bexley, Sidcup, Erith, and Crayford.

Modern Kent

During World War II, much of the Battle of Britain took place in the skies above this county. From June 1944 to March 1945, more than 10,000 V1 flying bombs, also called Doodlebugs, were launched at London from bases in Northern France. Many of these bombs were destroyed by planes, anti-aircraft guns, or barrage balloons, but about 2,500 reached London. A similar number hit Kent, leading to the area being called Doodlebug Alley. In 1989, the town of Deal was attacked by the IRA.

The north-west part of the county is part of the London commuter belt, where many people live and work. The Thames Gateway regeneration project includes riverside areas in north Kent, such as Sittingbourne, and areas mostly north of the A2 road. After World War II, many people moved to Kent from London, especially in the Medway area, because London suffered heavy damage during the war.

In 1998, the towns of Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Rainham left the administrative county of Kent to form the Unitary Authority of Medway. However, they remain part of the ceremonial county of Kent.

The two cities in Kent were Canterbury, where the Archbishop of Canterbury is based, and Rochester, where the Bishop of Rochester is based. In 1998, local government changes caused Rochester to lose its official city status, which was thought to be a mistake at the time. In 2018, it was reported that the loss of city status was not accidental.

Men of Kent and Kentish Men

Kent is traditionally divided into East Kent and West Kent. This division has been recorded since at least the time of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent. People from East Kent are called Men of Kent (or Maids of Kent), while those from West Kent are called Kentish Men (or Kentish Maids).

Julius Caesar referred to Kent as Cantium. Before the Romans arrived, the local tribe was called the Cantiaci. The Romans later made Kent a civitas, a unit of local administration, with its center at Durovernum Cantiacorum (modern-day Canterbury). Germanic settlers later used the name Cantium, suggesting that the civitas structure remained unchanged when control shifted from the Romans to the Germanic Jutes. The civitas may have covered only East Kent, which could explain the early division into East and West Kent during the Iron Age.

The identities of East and West Kent date back to the Anglo-Saxon period. During the early days of the English church, most large kingdoms, such as Mercia and Northumbria, had only one diocese. Kent was different, with two dioceses: Rochester in the west and Canterbury in the east. This likely reflected political divisions, with separate eastern and western groups in Kent during that time.

In the late 7th century, Kent was ruled by co-Kings—one in the west (Swaefherd, from the East Saxon royal family) and one in the east. Both were under the control of Aethelred of Mercia. These divisions may have shown differences in the ethnic backgrounds of Kent’s leaders. The Jutes, who settled in the east and south of the county after the Romans left in the 5th century, may have been distinct from the Angles and Saxons, who settled in the west later. Modern DNA testing suggests that people from Kent are more genetically similar to each other than to people from other parts of England.

F. F. Smith’s 1929 book A History of Rochester includes a 1735 glossary by Rev. Samuel Pegge. It notes that the history of early Anglo-Saxon England is uncertain and often reinterpreted. A Jutish elite may have established their kingdom in the east, absorbing or pushing aside other groups. This process was common during the Anglo-Saxon invasions. By the time of the Norman period, Jutish culture was widespread across Kent.

According to the BBC, a few hundred years later, the Men of Kent resisted William the Conqueror more strongly than the Kentish Men, who surrendered.

Kent is divided by the River Medway into East Kent and West Kent. However, some towns, like Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham (with Rainham annexed from Swale and considered part of East Kent), and Maidstone, are located on the east or south bank of the river.

Historically, West Kent included areas now in Greater London, such as Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, and Lewisham. These areas included places like Sidcup, Orpington, and Greenwich.

Further research shows the division is not the River Medway itself but lies further east, near Gillingham or Rainham. At Rainham, a small hamlet called Rainham Mark once had an ancient boundary stone near The Hops and Vine public house (formerly The Belisha Beacon). A milestone now marks this boundary. Edward Hasted, in his 1798 description of Rainham, wrote about this.

According to Freddie Cooper, a former mayor of Gillingham, the division remained in place until April 1, 1929, when Rainham was transferred from Milton Rural District Council to Gillingham, despite protests.

F. F. Smith’s 1929 work A History of Rochester also includes the 1735 glossary by Rev. Samuel Pegge.

Examples of Kent’s traditional division include its two historic regiments: the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment and the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), now part of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment. Kent also had two parliamentary constituencies, West Kent and East Kent. Each had its own Quarter Sessions until 1814, when the two were merged. The West Kent Quarter Sessions were based in Maidstone and covered areas like Aylesford, Sutton-at-Hone, and parts of Scray. The East Kent Quarter Sessions, roughly matching the Diocese of Canterbury, covered St Augustine, Shepway, and parts of Scray. Today, the tradition continues through the Association of the Men of Kent and Kentish Men, founded in 1913.

Nickname

Many English counties have special names for people from those areas. For example, people from Yorkshire are sometimes called "Tykes," and people from Lincolnshire are sometimes called "Yellowbellies." The traditional name for people from Kent is "Kentish Long-Tail." This name comes from a belief that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages, when some people thought that English people had tails.