Aylesford (with Eccles), Burham, Wouldham and Borstal

Aylesford (with Eccles), Burham, Wouldham and Borstal (since 1901) are parishes on the east bank of the River Medway; all of them shared in the advent of the cement industry in the second half of the nineteenth century which so changed the aspect of the villages and the lives of their people who, until then, had been engaged in agriculture and a little lime burning.
Now workers converged upon the new industrial areas of the Lower Medway, not only from other parts of Kent but from all over the country. Aylesford was, perhaps, the least affected visually, the brick, tile and pottery works started by Mr E.L. Betts of Preston Hall to give his villagers employment being the only positive industry there. Burham and Wouldham grew steadily, with rows of "two-up and two-down" workers' cottages and a plethora of shops and services. The hamlets of Eccles and Borstal mushroomed from an inn and a few farms and cottages to the considerable villages they became by the end of the century. Separate population figures are not given for Eccles and Borstal, but a comparison of the three parishes of Aylesford, Burham and Wouldham gives some idea of the changes that had come to the area

1841 1881 Aylesford(with Eccles) 1,344 2,719 Burham  380 1,353 Wouldham 284 1,268

The large combines of A.P.C.M. and B.P.C.M. were formed at the beginning of the century and the purchase of the privately owned companies began to take place. This resulted in a more efficient industry, but it also meant the closure of the smaller and the less economic works — those on the east bank had all been abandoned by 1927 with the exception of the Burham Brick and Cement Works, which had a brief resurgence during World War II. The death knell of the east bank industry was the uneconomic transportation of the cement by barge, horse and cart when the railway and increasing road transport were readily available across the river for the Snodland, Hailing and Cuxton works.
The effect of closure on the villages was one of distress and extreme poverty. All who could left them in search of work and the decline and demolition of the ancient houses which contribute so much to many of our charming Kentish villages took place. There can be no return to the entire beauty of the Lower Medway Valley for the scars of the industry still remain but the villages are pleasant and fully inhabited again — and the smoke and the dust are across the river!
Life in these villages has always been interwoven by friendships, marriages and work — during the "cement years" it was also united by a tremendous thirst! An inordinate number of inns and beer houses flourished, with beer available on site in the larger works in addition (charged against wages, of course). Thomas Buss of Eccles, writing of those years in 1902, comments "I have seen no class of men who will drink so much beer as an Englishman and none who will do so much work as an Englishman, or who live so well".

St Mary the Virgin, Burham
St Mary the Virgin, Burham (Old Church). This beautiful, but basically simple, building has been described as an alphabet of English Church Architecture. It stands near to the River Medway and to the old ferry crossing which was used so much in mediaeval times by travellers and pilgrims on their way to and from Canterbury.
The earliest Norman building was a simple rectangle, but north and south aisles were added in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. The body of the church was enlarged in the fourteenth century and the tower was added during the next hundred years. The offerings of the pilgrims may have played a part in financing these alterations. Changing religious attitudes and the Reformation may have contributed to the reduction in the size of the church. During the next few centuries, the aisles were removed and the chancel restored to its original dimensions, while a small porch was added to the outside. With the rise of industry in the Medway Valley, many new houses were built to accommodate the workers and their families. Thus the village became nucleated, rather than a collection of farms and hamlets such as Great Culand, Scarborough, Burham Court, etc. and was centred on the higher ground near to Rochester Road. Here, a new and bigger Church in the Gothic style so beloved of the mid-Victorian was built in 1881.
With decreased use, regular services ceased in the Old Church in 1919 except for use as a funerary chapel, and a steady decline into decay began. Restoration work carried out in 1956 and the work financed by the Redundant Churches Fund has ensured the preservation of this unique building. Examples of church architecture from all the ages mentioned are still visible in the fabric, together with Roman mortar and tiles, no doubt taken from the ruins of the Roman Farm houses which stood in the vicinity.  The Re-Dedication of Burham Old Church on September 16th 1956 by the Bishop of Rochester. The newer and larger Victorian Parish Church in the centre of the village was opened in 1882 and absorbed more and more of the parish funds, so that the twelfth century church by the river began to fall into disrepair, especially after regular services ceased in 1919. The generosity of the Historic Churches' Trust allowed the building to be restored and re-dedicated, as shown here. Alas! there was still too little money for the upkeep of the church which suffered from natural deterioration and the unnatural attentions of vandals. On June 22nd 1973, Burham Old Church passed into the care of the Redundant Churches' Fund which has carried out further restoration work and now maintains the building.St Mary the Virgin, Burham — the 'New Church' — was built by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone in 1881 and officially opened its doors for worship on June 30th 1882. Constructed of ragstone, it was an impressive building in the Gothic style which seemed to change little over the years. However, changes there were and, despite the solid appearance of the tower, the buttresses and the foundations were not adequate for its weight and it began to sink. The ragstone was found to be of second grade facing stone only with a core of crumbling cement. Sadly, the building became unsafe and was taken down in 1980, less than one hundred years after dedication