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Location
51°05'N
0°16'E
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Frant
(King Johns hunting lodge)
Name Derivation
Its name is a derivation of the Anglo Saxon Fernethe, a fern covered heath or
open area within the old forest of Andredsweald . During the
centuries the village has been known as Fernthe, Ferthe, Fernet
Farnt and finally Frant .
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General Details
Frant lies on the A267 between Mayfield and Royal Tunbridge Wells .
Towards Mark Cross on the top of the hill lies Saxonbury , an
old Celtic Hill Fort , this is about 2 miles from the current
village, and had bloomeries and slag showing some of the earliest
Iron workings in the area.
In the 900's Frant was part of the parish of Rotherfield , but
it is likely that few people lived there. Its first mention is
after the Domesday Book during the 1100's when a chapel is
recorded as being in the village. The chapel was given to the
Bishop of Rochester by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is believed that King John once owned a hunting lodge in the
village , this is possible, as John was said to have watched
bear baiting at Headcorn not too far away.
During the reign of Edward I in 1296 the village was granted a
Tuesday market and a Fair in the beginning of November.
Three Frant men followed Jack Cade in the Kentish rebellion
of 1450 marching on London and seizing power for a few days,
luckily the three were pardoned.
The 16th century brought the manufacture of cannons to the area,
and the register of the time mentions hammermen, colliers(charcoal
burners) and Frenchmen(Technical men Imported from France). The
local Iron Master family were the Carpenters, who owned large parts
of the village.
In 1765 the Tunbridge Wells to Wadhurst road was made a turnpike
and a toll was built in the village.
During the Napoleonic era, a military camp was to be found nearby
towards Groombridge , and in 1793 eighteen soldiers died from
smallpox and were buried in Frant churchyard.
The smugglers were also to be found in this area, and in 1815, George
Burgess of Frant was gaoled at Horsham , and was released after a
paying £430 fine . He was probably a member of the Groombridge Gang .
The area was affected by the Swing Riots in the autumn of 1830 with the
land workers demanding reasonable wages, these were put down forceably
by army on 15th November. A number of local workers were imprisoned or
transported to the colonies.
During the second world war, Canadian troops were billetted in the
area.
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Services
 Frant has a few local village shops, but the main shopping centre
is in Royal Tunbridge Wells about 4 miles to the north west. With
its supermarkets and Victoria centre.
Busses pass through the village to Wadhurst , Mayfield and
Royal Tunbridge Wells .
The nearest train services run from Bells Yew Green about 2 miles
north, and provide hourly services to London and Hastings .
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Page Last Updated: 2012-02-02 21:17:05
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