Editing Barfrestone

{{Short description|Village in Kent, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country =                 England
|static_image_name        = St Nicholas' Church, Barfrestone.jpg
|static_image_caption=St Nicholas' Church, Barfrestone
|official_name=            Barfrestone
|coordinates  = {{coord|51.2058|1.2361|display=inline,title}}
|label_position= top
|population =
|civil_parish =            [[Eythorne]]
|shire_district=           [[Dover (district)|Dover]]
|shire_county =            [[Kent]]
|region=                   South East England
|constituency_westminster= [[Dover (UK Parliament constituency)|Dover]]
|post_town=                DOVER
|postcode_district =       CT15
|postcode_area=            CT
|dial_code=                01304
|os_grid_reference=        TR261501
}}
'''Barfrestone''' is a village and (as '''Barfreston''') a former [[civil parish]], now in the parish of [[Eythorne]], in the [[Dover District|Dover]] district, in east [[Kent]], England. It is between [[Shepherdswell]], [[Eythorne]] and [[Nonington]], close to the former [[pit village]]s of [[Elvington, Kent|Elvington]] and [[Snowdown]]. In 1931 the parish had a population of 91.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10192535/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Barfreston CP/AP through time|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=10 June 2023}}</ref> On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Eythorne.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10192535|title=Relationships and changes Barfreston CP/AP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=10 June 2023}}</ref>

Alternative spellings are '''Barfreston''' and '''Barfreystone'''. The old pronunciation was "Barson" (before 1800) and the ancient name, "Barfriston".<ref name="hasted">{{cite journal |last=Hasted |first=Edward |year=1800 |title=Parishes |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62986 |journal=The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |volume=10 |pages=71–78 |accessdate=11 February 2014}}</ref>

At the time of the ''[[Domesday Book]]'', when the name was written 'Berfrestone',<ref>Mills, Anthony David (2003); ''A Dictionary of British Place Names'', [[Oxford University Press]], revised edition (2011), p.&nbsp;41. {{ISBN|019960908X}}</ref> the manor was owned by [[Odo, Earl of Kent]] (as the [[Bishop of Bayeux]]). But after his trial (for fraud) in 1076, his assets were re-apportioned, including Barfrestone. The lands were then granted to Hugh de Port (an [[English feudal barony]]) for the defence of [[Dover Castle]]. The lands passed through the hands of many other owners including [[Thomas Browne (died 1460)|Sir Thomas Browne]] (during the reign of [[Henry VI of England]]).<ref name="hasted"/>

Landmarks include the [[Grade I listed]] [[Norman architecture|Norman]] [[church (building)|church]],<ref>{{cite web |url =http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-177872-church-of-st-nicholas-eythorne-kent |title =Church of St Nicholas, Eythorne |website =www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |accessdate=4 December 2013 }}</ref><ref name="NHLE">{{National Heritage List for England| num=1070306 |desc=Church of St Nicholas |grade=I |accessdate=17 September 2016}}</ref> which contains significant carvings of human and animal figures on both the exterior and interior of the church, as well as a very early post-Roman example of the [[Greek key (art)|Greek key]] motif carved on the inside coving. Also of note is the church bell set in a [[Taxus baccata|yew]] tree adjacent to the church and "Little Ewell", a converted rectory which, until 2013, was the location of the centre (house, offices and workshops) of the [[L'Arche]] Kent Community which has since moved to [[Canterbury]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.larchekent.org.uk |title=L'Arche |accessdate=17 September 2016}}</ref> though a L'Arche house remains in the nearby village of Eythorne.

Another listed building in the village is [[Grade II listed]] Barfrestone Court,<ref>{{cite web |url =http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-177873-barfrestone-court-eythorne-kent |title =Barfrestone Court, Eythorne |website =www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk |accessdate=4 December 2013 }}</ref><ref name="NHLE1122002">{{National Heritage List for England| num=1122002 |desc=Barfrestone Court |grade=II |accessdate=17 September 2016}}</ref>

The village is on the [[Miner's Way Trail]] which links the coalfield parishes of East Kent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/minerstrail/history.asp|title=The History of the Coalfield Parishes|first=|last=|work=www.dover.gov.uk|date=|accessdate=20 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113144539/http://www.dover.gov.uk/kentcoal/minerstrail/history.asp|archive-date=2014-01-13|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Barfrestone in popular culture==
A 'Barfrestone annulment' is local slang for constructing a piece of flat-pack furniture without reference to the instruction leaflet and, in some cases, without incorporating all of the components. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/notes/dialect | title=Dictionary of the Kentish dialect }}</ref>

The village and church appear in [[Michael Paraskos]]'s novel ''Barfrestone'' published in 2024.<ref>Michael Paraskos, ''Barfrestone'' (London: Orage Press, 2024)</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Barfrestone}}
* {{OpenDomesday|TR2650|barfreston|Barfreston}}

{{Dover}}

[[Category:Villages in Kent]]
[[Category:Norman architecture in England]]
[[Category:Dover District]]