Eastry

Coordinates: 51°14′43″N 1°18′12″E / 51.2452°N 1.3034°E / 51.2452; 1.3034

Eastry is a civil parish and remote, yet historically significant village in Kent, England, around 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-west of Sandwich. It was voted "Kent Village of the Year 2005".

The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Éast-rige, meaning "eastern province" (c.f. Suth-rige "southern province"), also recorded as Éastregé, from éasterra gé (lit. "more easterly area").

Historical legends

Eastry lies on the Roman road north from Dover to Richborough Castle.

It was here that a royal palace of the Saxon kings of Kent stood. One of Kent's oldest legends concerns King Ecgberht of Kent and the murder of his cousins within the palace walls. According to the legend, the royal residence was passed to the priory of Christchurch in Canterbury as penance for the crime. The site of this ancient palace is believed to now be occupied by Eastry Court, close besides the church.

Another traditional story is that Thomas Becket hid in Eastry's caves whilst escaping from England in 1164. Those same caves are associated with other stories that may or may not be true. Locally however it is said these tunnels were made in the first world war.