Temple Ewell

A Historic Village near Dover, Kent

Nine hundred and fifteen years separate the first and most recent ‘Doomsday’ surveys of Temple Ewell (1086 – 2001).

Ewell, from the Saxon meaning ‘river spring’ is first named in about AD 772 but its attractive site must previously have been inhabited for thousands of years. From about 8000BC, when the sea broke through to create the Channel, it was close to the Dour estuary and the shortest Channel crossing. During the twelfth century the Knights Templars founded the present church and thus the word Temple became incorporated into the village name. The river valley offered invaluable inland communications and the village has remained both desirable as a habitat and close enough to share in all Dover’s local, national and international history.

Many of the older houses, in the conservation area, are built of local flint, as is the Baptist Chapel, but the Temple Ewell of today is a delightful mix of the old and the new; a friendly community with a thriving primary school, a Post Office and grocery store along with a Village Hall that is the hub of village life. The recreation ground, adjacent to the school, has been equipped to cater for all age ranges, complete with basket ball facilities, a teenage shelter, trim trail, swings and a multi-play unit.

Dragon Wood, adjacent to the Lydden and Temple Ewell Nature Reserve and providing access to it, was purchased for the village in 1985 and is a haven for a variety of wildlife and wild flowers. The picturesque millstream runs through the village where it joins the River Dour. Two old mills have survived; one is now a private home and the other the headquarters of Dover Operatic and Dramatic Society (DODS). Nearby are the lovely grounds of Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens.

Secondary schools are in Dover town and buses run through the village to Dover, Folkestone and Canterbury, with trains running to London and stations en route from Kearsney station. There area two Doctors’ surgeries and two public houses.

The Temple Ewell Newsletter is published ten times a year and is delivered free to every household, proving an invaluable source of information on village life and activities.