Benenden

 

Benenden Tennis
Benenden Tennis Tournament has been played in the village of Benenden every year for 70 years (except the war years) in aid of national and local charities. It is one of the largest charity tournaments in the country. It takes place in the last week of July on the eleven courts of Benenden School by kind permission of the head mistress.

It is a tournament for adults and juniors and is very well attended with over 500 players involved over 5 days. The tournament is for all standards of players. There are doubles and mixed doubles in both adults and junior sections. Both adults and juniors are played in round robin format, the juniors by age and the adults in two divisions.

There are home made cakes and drinks and excellent raffles over the 5 days.

For more information and to down load an entry form please visit www.benendentennistournament.org

 

The parish of Benenden is in the heart of the Kent countryside. At the centre of the village is the primary school. However the quaint school buildings on the village green are to be replaced. The information on the proposed sites can be seen at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's web site. From that link all the maps and consultation documents are downloadable - the period for comment on the proposed sites has finished and the village is keenly debating the options. (See the section containing the Parish Council minutes for some of the discussion)

The main part of the village is focussed around the green where cricket is played in the summer months and is bounded by the St George's Church, the village school, the gloriously fronted memorial hall, and the Bull public house. The parish includes Iden Green, East End, Standen Street and Dingleden.

In the summer of 2006 a major piece of work 'Benenden Landscape' was completed by Ernest Pollard and Hazel Strouts - read more about it and get a free copy from this site by clicking here. You can also find 4 walks around Benenden described on that same page.

In 2007 the Benenden Cubs and Scouts celebrated 100 years - see how you can help keep them going strong into their second century - see their page.adds

Click to see more

As recorded in Michael Davies' splendid and extensive 'Benenden - A Pictorial History' the village was one of the few places in the area known as the Weald (of Kent) that was named in the Domesday book. Benenden has largely escaped the development sprawl that has overtaken many a local village and is fortunate in retaining a number of small independent shops and pubs


A number of regular events fill the Benenden year including the fete in June the Iden Green BBQ and Rounders competition (click here for some photos).

For more information available from local web sites click the links on the left hand side.

Some Benenden events from years gone past ......

The Queen's Jubilee was celebrated over Monday June 3rd and Tuesday June 4th 2002 with the ever popular Iden Green Fayre and the family day on Benenden Green. Click on the picture of the Benenden Primary School maypole dancers for more images of the jubilee.

As part of the village's millennium celebration the new village sign was unveiled on Saturday 26th August 2000.

Click picture to see more about the unveiling of the sign.

Over that same weekend there was a wonderful flower festival held in and around St George's Church.

Click picture to see more about the Flower Festival

Groucho South-East
Tue 7th Jul, 6:15am
Network Night for media freelancers
Click
 
Primary School Pageant
Wed 8th Jul, 7:30pm
Click
 
Refuse Lorry for Domestic Waste
Sat 11th Jul, 8am
(Until 11am)
Click
 
Monthly Parish Council Meeting
Mon 20th Jul, 8pm
Come along and see what's going on
Click
 
Benenden Tennis Tournament
Wed 22nd Jul to Sun 26th Jul
Wed 22nd- Sun 26th July
Click
 
Groucho South-East
Wed 22nd Jul, 6:15am
Network Night for media freelancers
Click
 
Refuse Lorry for Domestic Waste
Sat 25th Jul, 8am
(Until 11am)
Click
 

Copyright Tim Dwyer 2005 - timdwyer@benenden.org.uk