Bridge

"BRIDGE, a parish in the hundred of Bridge and Petham, lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent, 3 miles to the S.E. of Canterbury, its, post town. It is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Little Stour, and is a place of some antiquity. The river is crossed near the village by an ancient bridge, The parish contains some hop grounds, and there are many good residences in the vicinity. The manor was once held by the Braems, a family of Dutch origin. Bridge is now the seat of a Poor-law Union. The living is a vicarage united with that of Patrixbourne, in the diocese of Canterbury. The church, which is chiefly in the Norman style, is dedicated to St. Peter, and contains several interesting sculptures. The Wesleyans have a chapel in the village. Among the seats of the gentry are Bridge Hill. House, the residence of the Baroness de Montesquieu; Bourne House, Bifrons, &c."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2010]