High Halstow

High Halstow
The 10th-century St Margaret's Church, High Halstow, looking east
High Halstow is located in Kent
High Halstow
High Halstow
Location within Kent
Population1,807 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ780754
Civil parish
  • High Halstow
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townROCHESTER
Postcode districtME3
Dialling code01634
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°27′00″N 0°34′30″E / 51.45°N 0.575°E / 51.45; 0.575

High Halstow is a village and civil parish on the Hoo Peninsula in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It was, until 1998,[2] administratively part of Kent and is still ceremonially associated via the Lieutenancies Act.[3] The parish had a population of 1,781 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 1,807 at the 2011 census.[1]

Originally known as Hagelstowe (in Textus Roffensis), Hagelsto or Agelstow,[4] it was named from an Old English word denoting a high, holy place. The area has been occupied by Romans, Saxons and Normans.

The village lies on the junction of the ancient roads from Hoo and Cliffe to the Isle of Grain, now a crossroads to the north of the A228 road. One of the highest points on the Hoo peninsula, at 30 to 50 metres above sea level, the modern village consolidates into a single community the four hamlets of Clinch Street, Fenn Street, Sharnal Street and High Halstow Street.

  1. ^ a b "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Medway Council – Local history: Medway in the 20th century 1901 – 2000". 2009. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997". legislation.gov.uk. 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. ^ Hasted, Edward (1798). "Parishes". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. 4. Institute of Historical Research: 16–19. Retrieved 9 May 2014.