Norton, Buckland and Stone, Kent

Norton, Buckland and Stone is a rural civil parish in Kent, situated between Teynham and Faversham. The area is traversed by the historic A2, following the route of the Roman Watling Street, with the M2 motorway bypassing it to the south. The parish is steeped in history, with records dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when Norton was known as ‘Nortone’ and owned by Odo, Earl of Kent.

Norton Ash and Lewson Street form the main settlement, featuring a cluster of thatched cottages including the 16th-century World’s End and the sizeable public house, The Plough. Norton Court, a 17th-century Grade II* listed building remodelled by Sir Reginald Blomfield, stands nearby alongside Provender, another Grade II* listed 16th-century house. The parish church of St Mary’s is a Grade I listed flint building with parts dating from the 12th to 14th centuries, notable for its restored 13th-century triple lancet windows and memorials dating back to the 16th and 19th centuries.

Buckland, once known as ‘Bocheland’, was historically controlled by the Crevequer family and had its own church dedicated to St Nicholas, now in ruins. The area includes listed buildings such as the Old Rectory and Barbary Farmhouse, with orchards and oast houses lining Provender Lane.

Stone, or Stone-next-Faversham, is a small hamlet with an Anglo-Saxon chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Eylwarton, a scheduled ancient monument. The chapel is linked to the manor of Elverton and appears in ecclesiastical records from 1227. Archaeological finds from the chapel and nearby Roman cemetery are displayed at the Maison Dieu museum in Ospringe.

The parish also supports local sports with cricket and football clubs based on Provender Lane, set in open spaces cherished by the community. A former water softening plant from the 1930s has been converted into a private residence known as the Lime Works.