WATER...It comes down to water !
The current village of Lenham is situated near a minor Kentish watershed. The Len flows westwards, joins the Medway in Maidstone and ends up in the Thames River basin, The Stour, going towards the East ends up in Sandwich and flows into the East Kent River basin . It is assumed that the Len derives its name from the village . The name "Lenham" has been interpreted as of Old English origins , the 'Homestead of Leana.'
The earliest mention of the name is in an Anglo Saxon Charter from 804 in which the King of Mercia and the King of Kent give land to their 'common kinsman' ( a relative?) . This land is in a place named 'Sewestralenham'( West of Lenham). As we don't know where Lenham, the 'Homestead of Leana' was, we don't know either where this land was. However, it stretched from somewhere near Lenham towards Frittenden and Staplehurst towards the Weald. Press the button below if you would like to read the charter.
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The earliest occupation in Lenham was discovered when a new housing estate was built near 'Glebe Pond', the source of the Stour. The archaeological excavation were scheduled for a few weeks but lasted nine months. The team by Thames Valley Archaeological Services uncovered 4000 years of human occupation on a two acre site. Press the button below if you would like to know more about the
​excavations
