History
Paddock Wood formed part of the ancient parish of Brenchley. There are several theories for the origin of the name "Paddock Wood"; it may have been derived from the nearby Manor of Parrock, or from the nearby woodland and paddocks. A railway station was opened here on 31 May 1842, on the South Eastern Railway main line from London via Redhill to Dover.
In 1847 cottages had begun to appear, and by 1851 a fairly sizeable community had developed, and an Anglican church, St Andrew's, was built. In 1860 the area was separated ecclesiastically from Brenchley to form a Church of England parish. The area around Paddock Wood has always had a history of hop farming, and in the growth of the town is partly due to the seasonal influx of hop pickers, and at the height of the season up to 8,000 people would arrive to work on the farms.
In August 1896, the first speeding offence in the United Kingdom was committed in Paddock Wood when Walter Arnold of East Peckham was chased by a police constable on a bicycle and apprehended for driving at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) in his Benz motor-car. The speed limit in force at the time was 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h). Mr Arnold was fined 1 shilling at Tonbridge Magistrates Court.
On 19 May 1929, Farman F.63bis Goliath F-GEAI of Air Union, whilst on a flight from Croydon to Paris, crashed at Keylands Sidings near Paddock Wood railway station, it stopped yards from the signal box and was destroyed by fire, the pilot and mechanic escaped with minor injuries.
On 9 December 1944 near Faenza, Italy, a 22-year-old Captain in the British Army, John Brunt, whose parents came from Paddock Wood, held off a German counter-attack and remained behind while giving covering fire that enabled his men to safely withdraw, and was awarded the Victoria Cross. After the war the Kent Arms public house in Paddock Wood was renamed the John Brunt VC in his honour. In 1997 the pub gained new management, and changed its name to the Hooden Horse but was forced to revert the name after local outrage (see main article John Brunt V.C. (public house)).
The town of Paddockwood in Canada was named by Fred Pitts who emigrated there from Paddock Wood.
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