Shipbourne is a village and civil parish situated between the towns of Sevenoaks and Tonbridge, in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in the English county of Kent. It is located in an undulating landscape traversed by the small streams of the River Bourne, set in a clay vale at the foot of the wooded Sevenoaks Greensand Ridge. The landscape is agricultural with dispersed groups of buildings that are almost entirely residential or used for farming purposes. The dominant characteristics of the historical landscape are thick woodland with smaller, broadleaf coppices with small to medium-sized fields enclosed by traditional boundaries of hedges or chestnut fencing. Earlier removal of some hedgerows has resulted in some larger arable fields; these are often separated by small woodland belts or shaws. The most distinctive landscape feature is The Common, also known as The Green, which is a large, open and dominant space in the centre of the village. To the south of the village, on each side of the A227 is Hoad Common. Before the last war Hoad Common was an attractive lightly treed open space popular with visitors but is now neglected and is rapidly deteriorating into scrubby woodland. The parish is situated in the Metropolitan Green Belt and is an area designated as a Special Landscape Area. The central village, including the pub, the church, the village school and The Common, is within a Conservation Area. Much of the village lies within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. St Giles' Church continues to serve as a place of worship, but nowadays also doubles up, every Thursday morning, as the venue for the localfarmers' market.
The Fairlawne Estate
The Fairlawne Estate is a 1,000 acre landed-estate which stretches from Shipbourne into neighbouring Plaxtol. It is currently owned by the Saudi Arabian horse-breeder, Prince Khalid Abdullah. Vane Family: In Stuart times, the estate was the property of Sir Henry Vane the Elder, Secretary of State to Charles I. Sir Henry was created Lord-Lieutenant of Durham and the family later became one of the leading families in that county too. Sir Henry's eldest son, also called Harry and also knighted, became Governor of Massachusetts in 1635. Sir Henry Vane the Younger made valiant attempts to remain on the winning side during the difficult period of the English Civil War, but is probably noted for his inept handling of the aspiration: he had been a Royalist but then became a Roundhead, before switching back to being a Royalist under Charles I. He was executed in London after being reported as being 'too dangerous to live'. His body lies in the Vane family vault area of the crypt of Shipbourne church in an anthropoid lead shell coffin with many members of the Vane family. His ghost is said to wander the village. The son of one employee of the Vane family on the estate wrote a 700 verse blank poem about hop-growing. The poet Christopher Smart was born in 1722 at Fairlawne, where his father was steward. Cazalet Family: The Vane family were followed by the Cazalets. In 1880, Edward Cazalet built the church, dedicated to St Giles, plus a public house, originally named "The New Inn" and later renamed The Chaser, and several of the cottages which surround The Common. Major Peter Cazalet was the trainer of horses owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Many members of the Cazalet family are commemorated in the church. Shipbourne Cricket Club: Established in 1880, Shipbourne CC are one of the oldest village cricket clubs in the county. Playing upon the beautiful Fairlawne Estate, Shipbourne have 2 Saturday league sides and a friendly XI on Sundays.
